This week, I’m going a bit deeper. Into something I believe with all the fibres of my being. And while I don’t expect you to immediately jump to this side of the boat, I hope I leave you with a few different ideas to ponder.

At its most fundamental level, stewardship means taking care of or looking after. And sovereignty? That means independence, power, authority and leadership.

In a world fixated on ownership and control, stewardship remains one of our most misunderstood and undervalued concepts. It sounds antiquated, perhaps even burdensome—a responsibility rather than an opportunity.

The fact that “Good Stewardship; Lasting Impact” is part of my brand also means that my brand is frequently misunderstood. Between you and I, THAT has been a bit of a struggle over the last few years. I think I’ve finally found a way to break free. (or maybe just a better way to muddy the waters even more.)

For years, I viewed stewardship as limited. Of course, it could not be liberating! And sovereignty was relegated to the country and the constitution. Never to an individual. How wrong I was.

My journey toward understanding stewardship began more than fifteen years ago, when I realized the exhausting weight of trying to control everything around me — my mother’s declining health, my career trajectory, then my own health spiral, ultimate recovery and brave new world. Add to that what I saw as my impact on others and my environmental footprint, and it all became too much.

The constant pressure to always own, maximize, and exploit drained my energy and evaporated all remnants of my sense of purpose. Perhaps you’ve felt this too?

What Stewardship Is

Stewardship is not activism, political or corporate speak for green or profit, and nor does it mean better than. At its essence, stewardship represents a profound shift in how we relate to everything in our lives. It’s the art of responsible caretaking without the burden of possession. It’s nurturing without controlling, guiding without dominating. It’s recognizing that we are temporary guardians of something greater than ourselves.

Clearly, this concept is intentionally countercultural. In a society that celebrates ownership as the ultimate form of security and success, embracing stewardship feels radical. It challenges our deepest assumptions about what brings fulfillment and meaning.

I see Three Distinct, yet Interconnected Domains

Personal Stewardship

When we steward ourselves, we reject the notion that our bodies and minds are resources to be depleted for productivity or pleasure. Instead, we honour them as integrated aspects of who we are—gifts to be nurtured and developed. This means making choices today that honour our future selves: rest when needed, boundaries that protect our energy, and practices that cultivate our potential.

My own breakthrough came when I stopped treating my body like a machine and my mind like a commodity. I began listening to their natural rhythms and needs, discovering that personal stewardship wasn’t about restriction but about a deeper alignment with my authentic nature.

Business Stewardship

The prevailing business model treats all for-profit companies as wealth-extraction vehicles—mechanisms designed primarily to enrich shareholders. Stewardship leadership flips this script entirely, viewing businesses as living organisms that generate multiple forms of value: financial sustainability, yes, but also community well-being, employee fulfillment, and environmental health.

In my forties, a remarkable transformation occurred when I shifted my business approach to focus on legacy over quarterly profits and purpose over exploitation. This change made my work more sustainable, my teams more engaged and surprisingly improved all the financial results and performance metrics. Stewardship in business created abundance rather than scarcity, empowering all of us.

Environmental Stewardship

Perhaps the most urgent application of stewardship today concerns our relationship with Planet Earth. Environmental stewardship recognizes the earth not as a resource to be mined but as our irreplaceable home and one in which we’re borrowing from future generations.

My environmental awakening didn’t come from guilt or fear but from a deep sense of connection. When I began seeing myself not as separate from nature but as an integral part of its intricate web, my behaviours shifted naturally. Conservation became less about sacrifice and more about strengthening my relationship with the environment.

What Sovereignty Is

Sovereignty is the highest power and authority that a country, state, or person can have over themselves. For a nation, sovereignty allows its government to create laws, manage its economy, and control its borders without being ruled by other countries. It’s like being the captain of your own ship—you decide where to go and how to get there.

Sovereignty gives us, the individuals, the right to determine our own future and protect our own independence. It means having the freedom to make our own decisions without outside interference. (Notice I did not say with no regard for laws and regulations.)

The Paradox

True sovereignty doesn’t emerge from control but from stewardship. When we release the exhausting grip of ownership and dominance, we discover a profound sense of freedom. We’re no longer burdened by the illusion that everything depends solely on us. Instead, we become co-creators in a larger story—participants rather than dictators—feeling liberated and empowered.

This sovereignty manifests as inner peace, creative energy, and authentic influence. It’s the difference between forcing outcomes, facilitating growth, extracting value, and cultivating abundance.

Where Are You on Your Stewardship Journey?

Wouldn’t it be cool to know where we stand? Yes, we can tune into our intuition. BUT. We all crave logic. Because logic gives us a good starting point.

With that in mind, I created a simple self-assessment tool for left-brain, right-brain and ambivert thinkers to identify strengths and opportunities across all three stewardship domains easily. The best part is that it is entirely free to take. May I interest you in exploring where you stand today on your path to sovereign stewardship?

When you take the Quiz, the five-minute assessment will help you:
• Discover your natural stewardship strengths
• Identify which domain of stewardship needs your immediate attention
• Receive customized and personalized recommendations for your next steps
Stewardship is NOT about perfection; it is about progression. Each choice to steward rather than control moves us closer to the sovereignty we’re seeking.

Today, I invite you to make just one choice that honours your future self, your business, your community, and our shared planet. Because THAT is where your true power and true sovereignty live. Yes, indeed, good stewardship makes lasting impacts. Because each choice WE MAKE to steward rather than control moves us closer to the sovereignty we all seek.