Stewardship Lib/E: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest

The classic first edition of this book argued that organizations that place service above self-interest and practice a far-reaching redistribution of power, privilege, and wealth stewardship will succeed far beyond those with a narrower, more selfish focus. As a successful managing strategy for corporate, governmental, and nonprofit organizations, "stewardship" is, fundamentally, the spirit of partnership and service. Organizations that absorb the principles of stewardship will offer equity and partnership at all levels for its employees, and managers who identify themselves as "stewards" will hold themselves accountable to all those over whom they exercise power. In this revised and updated edition, Block explores what has and has not changed in organizations and in the world in the twenty years since the first edition was published. He argues that the concept of stewardship is more relevant and necessary than ever, and shows how the idea of stewardship can and must be expanded out from organizations into our communities, societies, and nations. Peter Block is one of our most provocative and original thinkers. Here, he extends the scope of his insights to help us create not just productive and humane workplaces but vibrant communities, an engaged democracy, and a healthy planet.

About the Author :
Peter Block is the author of several bestselling books, including the first two editions of Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, Community, and The Empowered Manager. He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops designed by Block to build the skills outlined in his books.

Review :
"Stewardship challenges all managers and leaders of organizations to change their fundamental approach and beliefs about how to do their job. And it provides a clear path for action for those who accept the challenge." -- "Morley A. Winograd, sales vice president, Western Region, AT&T" "Stewardship is visionary, hopeful, and practical. Block calls for a whole new way of thinking about the workplace--and then takes the reader through very tangible steps for getting there." -- "Scientific American" "A revolutionary book that redefines what being 'value added' means in an organization and turns around the traditional thinking about who works for whom." -- "New Yorker" "An original and profound new view on how to run organizations... Block transcends all extant leadership literature." -- "Library Journal" "Reaching for the stars, [Block] constructs a productive business/industry model under which increasingly empowered employee/workers establish a new category of partnership and accountability that will render traditional management hierarchies almost obsolete." -- "Publishers Weekly" "Sherman Allen's appealing conversational tone is a fitting way to perform this updated plea for leadership...The narrator's mastery of phrasing goes beyond making ideas clear. Allen's spontaneity and ability to emphasize the pacing of important clauses and sentences communicates Block's urgency and makes listeners curious about each new part of the message. Allen's crisp pronunciation, which he exaggerates on important words or phrases, keeps the somewhat repetitive writing sound consistently fresh. His style and enthusiasm make this book about a well-worn organizational movement into something quite compelling." -- "AudioFile"