Civic Life and System Stewardship on the Job: How Can Workers in Every Industry Strengthen the Belonging and Civic Muscle Everyone Needs to Thrive?

Abstract

Stewardship for well-being is an ancient and still-evolving field of practice concerned with any system that affects who thrives, struggles, or suffers. It is a distinctive way of working across boundaries to reframe how people approach routine work, organizational design, and democratic self-governance. It has been paired effectively with a set of interdependent vital conditions that are the focus of a growing consensus about what produces equitable well-being over time. This article explores how system stewardship, centered on the vital conditions, can drive civic renewal on the job in virtually every industry. We begin by discussing who can become a steward and why stewardship depends on building an inclusive sense of belonging and strong civic muscle. Next, we look at one part of the system for well-being—the American healthcare industry—to illustrate what it takes for industry insiders to step into new roles as civic-minded system stewards. Finally, we consider whether a rising cadre of system stewards could open a viable new path in the movement for well-being and justice.