Leadership Isn’t About Control—It’s About Stewardship

I was doing an early reflection on the goals I set for 2026.

Instead of feeling excited, I felt anxious—and honestly, a bit pressured.

This year feels different.

I am re-starting my business.

For the past few years, most of my time, energy, and focus were poured into building BNI chapters, developing leaders, and strengthening connections. That season was meaningful and fruitful—but in my quiet moments of reflection, I realized something unsettling:

I had not given my coaching business the time and attention it deserved.

It felt like I was starting all over again.

That realization brought pressure.
Pressure to catch up.
Pressure to prove myself.
Pressure to make things happen quickly.

But during my early devotions and prayers, a gentle realization came to mind—one that immediately lifted the weight I was carrying.

All throughout the year anyway…
it was the Lord who made things possible.

And with that thought, the anxiety began to loosen its grip.

The Question That Changed My Perspective

As I prayed, one question kept surfacing in my heart:

Am I leading like an owner—or like a steward?

Not just in business.
Not just in leadership.
But in life and calling.

It was a quiet yet powerful reminder that everything I was feeling—pressure, anxiety, urgency—was rooted in a subtle belief:

“This depends entirely on me.”

And Scripture gently, but firmly, corrects that belief.

Owners Think They Possess. Stewards Know They Are Entrusted.

An owner mindset says:

• This is mine

• I control the outcome

• I carry the full weight

• Failure is personal

A steward mindset understands:

• This was entrusted to me

• I am accountable, not entitled

• Faithfulness matters more than control

• Outcomes belong to God

The Bible consistently reminds us that nothing we lead truly belongs to us.

Not our business.
Not our influence.
Not our platform.
Not even the season we are in.

When leaders forget this, pressure rises.
When leaders remember this, peace returns.

That’s what happened in my reflection.

Why Leadership Pressure Feels So Heavy

Many leaders don’t burn out because they are doing too much.

They burn out because they are carrying what was never meant to be carried alone.

When we act like owners:

• We obsess over results

• We fear loss

• We rush decisions

• We tie identity to performance

But when we embrace stewardship:

• We lead with purpose

• We make clearer decisions

• We trust timing

• We grow without panic

Ownership asks, “How do I make this work?”
Stewardship asks, “How do I remain faithful?”

That single shift changes everything.

The Biblical Measure of Leadership Success

Jesus made this clear in the Parable of the Talents.

The servants were not evaluated by how much they owned.
They were not compared against each other.
They were not praised for ambition.

They were affirmed for one thing:

Faithfulness.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Not successful.
Not impressive.
Not busy.

Faithful.

That truth was deeply reassuring during my reflection.

God was never asking me to control outcomes.
He was inviting me to steward this season well.

Stewardship Redefines How We Lead People

When leaders see people as theirs, leadership becomes positional.

When leaders see people as entrusted, leadership becomes relational.

Stewardship-driven leadership:

• Develops people, not just performance

• Builds culture, not just systems

• Reproduces leaders, not dependency

• Leads with humility, not pressure

This is the heart of servant leadership—and it is far from weak.

Freedom Comes When We Release Control

One of the most liberating realizations for any leader is this:

We are responsible for obedience, not outcomes.

Owners stress over results.
Stewards focus on alignment.

Owners ask, “What if I fail?”
Stewards ask, “Am I being faithful?”

That realization didn’t lower my standards.
It realigned my heart.

I didn’t feel lazy.
I felt focused.

I didn’t feel passive.
I felt purposeful again.

A Lesson I’m Carrying Into 2026

As I move into 2026, restarting, rebuilding, and re-clarifying my coaching business, this is the posture I’m choosing:

I am not the owner of the mission.
I am a steward of the calling.

That truth doesn’t remove responsibility—it anchors it in faith.

And with that anchor, motivation returned.
Vision became clearer.
Pressure lost its voice.

A Closing Reflection for Leaders

What has God entrusted to you in this season?

Your business?
Your leadership role?
Your influence?
Your restart?

And what would change—right now—if you stopped carrying it like an owner and started leading it like a steward?

Because leadership is not measured by what we accumulate.

It is revealed by how faithfully we carry what was entrusted to us.