An experienced professional leading a creative Open Minds Open Doors brainstorming session with her team, using colourful sticky notes to aid the discussion. Someone, somewhere, decided that after a certain age, the ambition is supposed to quieten down. That the hunger for meaningful work, for challenge, for contribution, should gradually give way to something softer. Golf, perhaps. A slower pace. The gentle winding down. It's a tidy story. It's also, for a great many people,

Stewardship isn't just a leadership buzzword; it’s an active discipline that starts with the work we do on ourselves. In a world where speed, certainty, and output are overvalued, and reflection, patience, and care are undervalued, true leadership loses its breadth and impact unless it is grounded in self-mastery.

Being the founder of a social enterprise is never easy. If it were, everyone would do it. The reality is, this path is filled with...