Marian Iszatt-White, Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Lancaster University Management School, UK

‘In this ambitious book, Iszatt-White challenges us to critically examine the current fascination with “leadership” and to consider replacing and/or complementing it with a focus on ‘stewardship’. Leadership, she suggests, is a “debased currency” that has become so entwined with capitalistic notions of economic growth and shareholder profits that it is unable to support the kinds of change in thinking and practice that are needed to facilitate the transition to a more just and environmentally sustainable society. Her book takes the reader on a journey through the roots of enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinking to reveal the ways in which they have shaped, and continue to influence, contemporary notions of leadership. Leadership as Stewardship outlines the potential contribution (and challenges) of stewardship, and how it might inform future leadership theory, research and practice. The book concludes by calling on academics, practitioners and policy-makers to consider the implications of stewardship as, in and of leadership. This is a timely and thought-provoking book that will provide important insights and opportunities for reorientating the nature and purpose of leadership in addressing complex challenges such as climate change.’

• Contents1 Introduction: why stewardship? 2 What’s wrong with the Enlightenment? 3 Stewardship across different research domains: getting toa core understanding 4 Tensions and questions5 A return to relational ontologies: what’s old is new again 6 Corporate biosphere stewardship With Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre forSustainability in Business, Lancaster University Management School7 Conclusion: quo vadis, stewardship? References

Marian Iszatt-White, Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Lancaster University Management School, UK

‘In this ambitious book, Iszatt-White challenges us to critically examine the current fascination with “leadership” and to consider replacing and/or complementing it with a focus on ‘stewardship’. Leadership, she suggests, is a “debased currency” that has become so entwined with capitalistic notions of economic growth and shareholder profits that it is unable to support the kinds of change in thinking and practice that are needed to facilitate the transition to a more just and environmentally sustainable society. Her book takes the reader on a journey through the roots of enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinking to reveal the ways in which they have shaped, and continue to influence, contemporary notions of leadership. Leadership as Stewardship outlines the potential contribution (and challenges) of stewardship, and how it might inform future leadership theory, research and practice. The book concludes by calling on academics, practitioners and policy-makers to consider the implications of stewardship as, in and of leadership. This is a timely and thought-provoking book that will provide important insights and opportunities for reorientating the nature and purpose of leadership in addressing complex challenges such as climate change.’

• Contents1 Introduction: why stewardship? 2 What’s wrong with the Enlightenment? 3 Stewardship across different research domains: getting toa core understanding 4 Tensions and questions5 A return to relational ontologies: what’s old is new again 6 Corporate biosphere stewardship With Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre forSustainability in Business, Lancaster University Management School7 Conclusion: quo vadis, stewardship? References