Kurt April and Julia Kukard – Steward Leadership: A Maturational Perspective

Steward leadership is a form of leadership that focuses on others, the community, and society at large rather than the self, and this book creates a framework for stewardship and the requisite behavior to develop steward leaders at a younger age. Many senior leaders and executives across the globe appear to move into a stewardship mindset at a ripe age or when their careers have matured, whereas executives of around 30 years old, on average, are typically focused on self-interest. The book’s extensive research and interviews provide the theoretical as well as consulting tools with which organizations can develop stewards, whether through training programs, mentoring programs, coaching initiatives, and personal development practices.

Kurt April is a professor at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is also managing director of LICM Consulting, a company operating globally and specializing in leadership, inclusion, coaching, and mentoring. He is widely published, and has coauthored several books, including Rethinking Leadership and Performance Through Learning. Julia Kukard is a founding partner of Aephoria Partners and a leadership and inclusion professional with 17 years of research and consulting experience. Her research focus is on supporting the development of mature leaders and cultures that can enable human flourishing in organizations. Kai Peters is chief executive of Ashridge and serves on supervisory and advisory boards for a number of organizations in the health care and social care sectors. He writes and lectures on cognitive sciences, leadership and strategy for government, business, and academic audiences.