Stewards are responsible leaders who act as guardians of organizations, large and small, with the goal of growth and improvement. Although you face pressure to deliver short-term results, your real challenge is keeping your eye on long-term goals without compromising the organization’s core values. They must balance these responsibilities using short-term strategies that support the long-term mission.


We believe stewards should focus on building an internal environment that empowers everyone and aligns with employee ethics. This environment, known as the “culture” of the organization, is governed by norms that define both the institutional mission and the acceptable means to achieve it. Despite the diversity of organizations around the world, certain qualities of stewardship, such as long-term vision, effective listening, humility, and trust, are universally valuable in building a strong organizational culture.


True stewards often remain anonymous, but their achievements endure because of the cohesion they foster. For example, although Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are famous for walking on the moon, the name of George Mueller, who led NASA during the space race, is less known. Mueller, through selfless leadership and a commitment to excellence, improved the internal functioning of NASA and created a set of agreed-upon organizational values among employees, prioritizing the organization’s mission.
We also consider leaders who operate in contexts where society has contradictory values. In many parts of the world, modernization brings with it practices such as child labor, which often clash with the ethical values of international organizations.

Institutions with a strong organizational culture are better prepared to face these pressures, maintaining ethical values and a firm mission. A steward who clearly embodies a defined set of values can empower his or her employees to act in line with the organizational culture, creating a framework for responsible decisions that benefit the organization without compromising moral standards.

Our management formula is based on two components: structure and purpose. By creating a strong internal culture, a steward can ensure that the organization is structurally competent and determinedly strong. Institutional leadership has no expiration date; a successful steward can leave his position knowing that the mission remains intact.

The legacy of a steward is not personal, but collective; he creates a system of enduring values and empowers others to perpetuate them.

Finally, we believe that by creating a culture of stewardship, a successful organizational leader can empower all members of an organization to be both leaders and managers, regardless of their position in the organizational hierarchy. Thus, leadership based on co-responsibility should be a fundamental aspect of successful organizations and our shared culture as citizens of the 21st century global society.