Two Birds in a Tree

10Leading as a Steward

This whole world is covered by the Self,Whether moving or still:Support yourself by renouncing ownership,Set not your heart on wealth that is not yours.ISHA UPANISHAD

The lower bird has an alternative to the humanistic branches that connect it to the higher bird: nature’s own branches also lead to the top of the tree. For business leadership, the core of this alternative is stewardship, the concept that business and humanity are guardians, rather than pillaging owners, of nature and its elements. As stewards, the role of business leaders is to preserve and renew nature for future generations of human and other living beings rather than dominate nature for their own purposes. If business leaders are stewards, then who is ...