🧠Stewardship
Healthy Power in Community
Power does not go away when nobody names it. Practical ways to make it visible, accountable, and shared.
Principles
Name the formal power
Write down who decides what, how, and how that can change. Ambiguity protects whoever already has influence.
Take informal power seriously
Charisma, founder status, social centrality, and being the person everyone texts are all real forms of power.
Accountability needs a route
There must be a way to raise a concern about a leader that does not depend on that leader's goodwill.
In practice
- Publishing how money comes in and where it goes.
- Term limits or rotation for visible roles.
- A named person outside the core group who concerns can go to.
Reflection questions
- If someone disagreed with me publicly, what would it cost them?
- What do I know that nobody else here knows?
Related resources
Becoming an Actualize Steward
Stewardship is care and responsibility — not ownership of, or authority over, a community.
Consent + Boundaries in Community Spaces
How to build spaces where "no" is easy, opting out is unremarkable, and invitations do not carry pressure.
A Beginner's Guide to Facilitation
You do not need to be an expert. You need clear instructions, honest attention, and the willingness to adapt.
When Someone Doesn't Feel Safe
A careful starting point for hosts: immediate safety, listening well, and escalating to people qualified to help.