Exploring Stewardship part 1

As a kid growing up, one of the most important lessons I learned alongside the value of hard work was the concept of stewardship. I didn't know the word at the time, but I definitely knew my responsibilities to family and community, and I knew that if I failed to meet them, I would pay the price. I wasn't just taught; I knew that my self confidence, my happiness, my learning and growth were all tied to how I dealt with my stewardship.

What is stewardship and why does it matter?

If stewardship--in its most basic definition--is the responsible planning and management of resources, and if we understand the lesson of stewardship, then the real question is: for what resources are we as good people, good stewards, responsible? Is it our community resources, or those of our planet? Our forests and wildlife or our clean air? I'm in no way seeking to take away from individuals or groups seeking to address those issues--they are important, without question--but it's my feeling that we too easily look beyond what, or perhaps more importantly who, is right in front of us.

What are your motivators?

Organizations adopt similar causes to those listed above for multiple reasons. Some feel a responsibility to give back to society and the planet. But there's also the fact that stewardship itself has become a business asset. The knowledge that conspicuous stewardship is good marketing has led to everything from well-meaning (but often short-sighted or poorly executed) outreach efforts to blatant greenwashing (clean diesel, anyone?). It's become easy to view corporate service efforts with a cynical eye because we've all seen companies disguising bad habits or profit-driven motives behind feel-good campaigns.

The first step to being a good steward isn't choosing a worthy cause, it's knowing why you seek to serve. If profit is the goal, stewardship is just a means to an end. When stewardship itself is the goal, you're on the right track. The irony is that stewardship and profitability aren't opposing ideals; bottom-line motivations can benefit from responsible resource management.!
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