“I was incredibly fortunate to start my career working with and for Ian Duncan – over 20 years ago. He was loved and feared in equal measure – not because he was harsh, but because he asked the very best of you. From day one, it was clear his leadership was different. It was not about status, title, or control – it was about people, purpose, and growth.

Ian spent hours teaching me models, mindsets, and techniques that became the foundation of my leadership career. ”

“Paul Polman (b. 1956), former CEO of Unilever, redefined what leadership in business could mean. Where others chased quarterly profits, he looked to the next quarter-century. He believed that companies should serve society, not the other way around – that profit was the result of purpose, not its replacement. He thought in systems, seeing climate, poverty, and profit not as competing forces but as parts of the same equation of human progress”

“Ferguson was not beyond reproach. He could be ruthless, controlling, and quick-tempered.

But even those who clashed with him often later recognised the intention behind the edge – a relentless drive to uphold the values that built the game, not the spectacle that sold it.

In a world chasing instant results, he chose continuity.

In an era of ego, he modelled commitment.

And in a profession obsessed with winning, he pursued worth.

His stewardship was not smooth or saintly – it was lived, human, and hard-earned.

And that’s what makes it real.”

“Jane Goodall’s life was a lifelong act of stewardship - of listening, tending, and gently awakening our shared sense of responsibility for the Earth and all its inhabitants.

What made Jane Goodall a steward rather than simply a scientist or activist? Her life reveals the same interwoven pattern of attitudes, principles, skills, and behaviours that define true stewardship.”

“When he founded Patagonia in 1973, he insisted it would be different: business as a vehicle not for extraction but for regeneration. What began as better gear for climbers became a bold experiment in stewardship. Every product was a test: could it be durable, repairable, recyclable? Every policy was a statement: the earth is not for sale, but for safekeeping.

In 2022, Chouinard gave away the entire company. ”

“She once said:

“We must never forget what happened in Hiroshima. If we remain silent, the lessons are lost. Every story told, every voice raised, is a responsibility to protect future generations from the same horrors.”

From that commitment grew her lifelong advocacy. She helped shape ICAN, campaigned tirelessly at the United Nations, advised world leaders, and contributed to a global movement that ultimately won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet Setsuko was clear: this was never her work alone. It was stewardship – a continuum of care for memory, humanity, and the future.”

“She once said:

“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.”

From that first act grew the Green Belt Movement. By the time of her death, more than 50 million trees had been planted across Africa, livelihoods had been restored, and countless women empowered. Yet Maathai was clear: this was never her work alone. It was stewardship - collective care for what had been entrusted”