Customer Reviews

Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest

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The harsh reality that confronts much contemporary optimism. A book about helplessness, tyranny and profit. But also about leadership, democracy, the human spirit and prosperity. Though addressing the fundamental Christian principle of choosing service before self-interest and carrying a message for church management and denominational structures, Block's focus is entirely in the world and the workplace. From the fragmentation of our lives we are all familiar with he leads us to wholeness, integration and reconciliation and writes about a redistribution of power, partnership and community. But if all this makes it sound theoretical, far from it. It is absolutely practical, down-to-earth and built on solid day-to-day issues.

Although he captured me with his initial quote from Shakespeare's Richard III as rationale for a practical means to insure corporate survival, I found Peter Block to be the most refreshing thinker I've yet had the privilege to study. I used this book in a Doc course where we included a fairly lengthy conference call with Block, thus giving our rather small cohort (12 of us) a good opportunity to quiz him on some of the gritty application details. I must admit that I finished the course with a distinct impression that Block may well be the next Deming. Unfortunately, the mistakes of the past seem to be repeating in that although a new generation of managers understands his philosophy and may be buying into it at a fairly respectable pace, the bulk of corporate thinkers are just not willing to jeopardize the thinking that got them into place. The problem is typical....one of my earliest lessons in administrative thinking was a CEO who told us to use that new CQI process because he was going to foster change in our org.....right up to where he told us to find a way to make sure the results of the process met his goals for the org.

There is no doubt that Block is challenging the big thinkers to have the guts to give up the power while still holding the responsibility. Like Deming before him, he's a prophet with a message everybody believes in but few are willing to sacrifice adequately to reap the enlightenment. I'm not a CEO, but I've used his principles fairly successfully the past 4 years, occasionally I can't make it work, but when it does, the results have been spectacular. What's important for me is that I think of myself as a steward entrusted with a valuable resource. There are some great lessons on how to do this in any serious biography of Henry II of England's administrative structure - which established the concept of English Common Law, among other achievements. (By no stretch of imagination could Henry II be considered a modern manager, but his concept of stewardship certainly was as radical in his day as Block and Deming in ours - the lessons of history are worthwhile.)

It's the subtitle of the book that provides the clue to the difficulty of the concept.....Choosing Service over Self-Interest....it's extremely hard to carry this out. Block himself tends to simply inform those who challenge him that he cannot provide assurances of security, that if the outcome were a sure thing there would be no need for commitment, and then he sometimes talks about installing living democracy in organizations in place of autocracy. This is radical.....so radical that the cost of believing is more than most of today's administrators can afford to risk, so perhaps the philosophy will take root in those who are listening now in anticipation of their time. When it finally happens, the world will once again become a better place.

Peter Block has taken the principles and Edward Demming and put them into a usable methodology that will not only help any business owner focus on the essentials necessary for success but will also inspire members of the team at all levels. Block, who has written two other books on management, focuses on the prime issue for a success business: that those who are doing are the one's who should be making the decision on how to serve the customer. He writes that the old way of doing business, that of patriarchy, can never succeed in today's world that demands business be able to move with the customer at a moment's notice. The books is insightful about how to go about implementing a pardign change in a business and in your way of thinking about how business is being conducted. Block speaks of bottom up management, where the key to success as a mnanager is not to be in control, yet still be responsible. It is a life-changing typoe of book for any manager who can see that this is a style of management which will set free the entire work force to become successful stewards of your business.

I read this for an MBA class. Most of my classmates did not like this book and did not like the whole concept of servant leadership at all. Block's ideas and the changes he advocates are unconventional, however the book is written very well. I found the book easy to understand, easy to relate to and quite compelling as a result of Block's good use of concrete examples and mini "case studies" within the chapters. He does an effective and commendable job of demonstrating how to implement his ideas into an organization, a piece that is often lacking in books like this. The beginning is a little slow -- it was very theoretical and rather preachy for me.

However, it is a must read for anyone interested in leadership or management. Block's ideas present specific challenges to the old "command and control" corporate mentality that any maverick will find interesting to say the least. In the information age where knowledge workers are becoming an increasingly interesting challenge for leaders/managers, this is a great book in helping someone navigate the changing times.

Overall, the book is quite good -- I'm looking forward to reading more of Block's work as a result!

Peter Block read my mind, articulated my dream, and has captured the essence of my new consulting business, Revolution Consulting. I was profoundly moved to read that someone has so clearly articulated the things I struggle with every day in promoting a new order in business. The distinction between traditional or even new-age leadership and the possibilities that stewardship creates was crystal clear and brilliantly articulated. This book was an inspiration to someone that has taken up the cause in the real world. It will be an on-going source of inspiration and support.

"Stewardship" is the title of the book that seemed to jump right off the shelf at me. As I skimmed through it, I was surprised at what I read. For here was a book with a single-word title communicating the missing principle of my new business. Once at home I didn't put the book down until I finished it. The three principles of The Web Group are now in place: Harmony, Stewardship, & Prosperity (HSP). The Web Group operates and lives by these three guiding principles. We knew there was a third principle missing after Harmony and Prosperity came to us. We were trying to make "Service to Others" and "Contribution" work, but nothing quite works as does "Stewardship." The title and the content of Brock's visionary work supports the very essence of what The Web Group stands for. The state of Harmony provides space for Stewardship which brings Prosperity in all areas of one's life. Our primary clientele is anyone 18 to 24 years old, struggling in life, and has a business idea. Don Healy, Founding Partner What's the best way to contact someone for additional information on Stewardship?

Block has a way of taking us outside the realm of day-to-day management without falling into unreality. In Leveraging People and Profit, Bernie Nagle and I present the concept of the altrupreneur -- one who conducts an enterprise with conspicuous regard for others. Block does an outstanding job of presenting the why and how of doing this.

Business consultant Peter Block is no stranger to controversy. A number of his previous works explored the reaches of transformational management, including his bestselling book The Empowered Manager. In an even bolder way, Stewardship - Choosing Service over Self-Interest offers a dynamic new organizational structure for our young century. Block defines stewardship as "the means of achieving fundamental change in the way we govern our institutions." He believes that stewardship is a choice "to preside over the orderly distribution of power." This means giving individuals at the bottom of the organizational structure the choice on how to best serve their customers, citizens and community". It also means accepting accountability at all levels. Block continues to define stewardship as being accountable to the larger organization by "operating in service, rather than in control, of those around us." His philosophy is centered on a need and commitment to service rather than self-interest.

Peter Block challenges the modern notion of strong leadership and suggests replacing the term with stewardship. His problem with leadership is that he does not believe it has the capability to create fundamental changes in our organizations. He also believes that leadership "inevitably becomes self-congratulatory and over-controlling. We expect leaders to choose service over self-interest, but it seems the choice is rarely made." Perhaps Block would have better made his point by discussing the various philosophies that pass as leadership rather than neatly collecting them all in one term. Indeed, leadership is often a vague and misunderstood term.

Stewardship - Choosing Service over Self-Interest is a book with three parts. The first part discusses the basic concept of stewardship. It highlights the promises offered by developing a passion toward stewardship in contrast to what we experience in traditionally managed organizations. The second part of the book discusses the redistribution of power in a practical way. This controversial section of the book butchers many managerial "sacred cows" and offers a vision of what stewardship can be like in action! Part three examines the reform process and explores how you and your organization can get from where it is today to an environment of stewardship.

If you are one who is not satisfied with the status quo, you will find this book exciting and refreshing. Sometimes written in almost theological terms, Block inspires the reader to expect more from our institutions and ourselves. This book should find itself on the bookshelf of every person interested in the study of leadership.

Peter Block takes the basic principles of leadership and inverts them into a whole new way of looking at just who the customer is, what customer service is, and exactly who it is that does the work. It opens your eyes to a whole new way of framing the world.

Reading Stewardship changed the way I approach all my efforts both in my own leaderhsip and supervisory capacities and in my advising and educating of students. It demands of us a new understanding of our responsibility for the lifelong learning and development of all we come in contact with. It offers exciting and dynamic possibilities if we are willing to take the ultimate risk and be accountable without having control. These concepts are not for the timid