Steward Leaders: Not About Us

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with David R. York about the genesis and central ideas of York’s book, The Gift of Lift, including stewardship, ownership, investment, transcendence, and the freedom that comes from being owned by purpose rather than possessions. The conversation also explores four building blocks for fostering stewards, the relationship between grace and truth in preparing the next generation, and the transformative power of questions and stories over simply accumulating information. York’s experience with the former owner of the Utah Jazz helped crystallize the distinction between ownership and stewardship and became the catalyst for The Gift of Lift. Stewardship is defined through the twin pillars of investment and transcendence, offering an alternative to consumerism and a source of freedom. Four building blocks for fostering stewards are discussed: quality of opportunity, justice before the law, supremacy of reason, and the efficacy of grace. The conversation concludes with the role of grace and truth, preparing people before transferring resources, and using questions and stories to foster transformation. David R. York is an Attorney, Certified Public Accountant and Managing Partner with the Salt Lake City law firm of York Howell. David practices law in the areas of estate planning, tax, business planning, and non-profit entities. He is a Fellow with the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is a Dean with the Purposeful Planning Institute. David has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the area of Estate Planning—a distinction awarded to approximately the top 2% of attorneys in the field. David has extensive experience in designing and implementing advanced wealth planning strategies for ultra high net worth clients. He also has extensive experience working with charitable planning, purpose trusts, private trust companies, and advanced trust planning. David has spoken to hundreds of public groups and professional organizations, including TED, Q Commons, Stanford University, the Purposeful Planning Institute, Million Dollar Roundtable, and Investments & Wealth Institute. He is the author of The Gift of Lift: Harnessing the Power of Stewardship to Elevate the World and the children’s book, Dudley’s Castle. He is the co-author of two other books, Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts and Riveted: 44 Values that Change the World. He has also written for Trusts & Estates Magazine, Estate Planning Magazine and Investments and Wealth Monitor. David currently serves on the Board of Directors of Healing Nations. He lives in the Salt Lake City, Utah area with his wife Mindy and their five children. To view David’s Ted Talk: David York: A new way to think about inheritance | TED Talk For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com. Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever. To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune). 

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Kay Lynn McLaughlin about the relationship between the CEO and finance team, drawing on McLaughlin's experience as a lender, controller, CFO, and CEO. The conversation explores trust, transparency, accountability, disagreements, relationships with auditors and boards, communication within finance teams, the human meaning behind financial numbers, and the importance of protecting time for family. The CEO–CFO relationship and the complementary roles of strategic leadership and financial detail. Trust, transparency, accountability, and constructive disagreement between CEOs, CFOs, boards, and auditors. The importance of communication and relationships for finance professionals and leaders. The human side of financial leadership, including the people behind the numbers and the importance of family time. Kay Lynn McLaughlin began her employment with the Plains Land Bank in March 2010. Ms. McLaughlin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Public Accounting degree, all from West Texas A&M University. She previously served as a Loan Officer, Operations Manager, Controller, and Chief Financial Officer for Plains Land Bank, FLCA. She was promoted to Chief Executive Officer-Elect in March 2021, and has served in the role of Chief Executive Officer since October 2021. For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com. Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever. To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune). 

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Sandy Brown about stewardship in bank mergers and acquisitions, with particular attention to people, culture, transparency, negotiation, and long-term value creation. They explore how leaders can steward employees, customers, communities, and shareholders from strategic planning through integration, including the importance of organizational readiness, relationship-building, risk allocation, and finding productive roles for strong people on both sides of a transaction. Why M&A leaders should treat employees, customers, communities, and shareholders as important constituencies rather than focusing solely on transaction economics. How transparency, early integration planning, and attention to culture can preserve value and help people navigate transformational change. The role of business-minded legal counsel in negotiation, risk allocation, emotional management, and moving a transaction toward a constructive close. Why leaders should assess organizational alignment and cultural readiness before pursuing M&A and think beyond closing day to long-term outcomes. Sanford (“Sandy”) Brown counsels and represents financial institutions and specialty finance companies, as well as their shareholders and holding companies, in matters involving state and federal banking laws, regulations, and enforcement actions; in corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, securities offerings, and holding company matters; and on issues involving cybersecurity, privacy, and identity theft. Sanford served in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency from 1987 to 1989. His responsibilities included a wide range of matters relating to the regulation of national banks, including the development of banking policy in the areas of risk-based capital and dividends. He is a faculty member of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking and a frequent speaker at regional and national banking seminars and educational programs. Sanford is nationally ranked by Chambers USA in the Financial Services Regulation: Financial Institutions M&A category. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Banking and Finance and Financial Services Regulation, including in the latter category as the Dallas/Fort Worth “Lawyer of the Year” in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2024. Representative experience: Counsel to over 200 buyers and sellers of community banks nationwide. Counsel to hundreds of community banks in issuing equity and debt securities. Counsel to multiple regional banks on numerous corporate and regulatory issues. Counsel to two bank holding companies on Section 363 transactions. Regulatory counsel to several specialty finance companies. For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com. Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever. To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune). 

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Ryan McCool about selfless leadership, the leadership lessons Ryan drew from his experience as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, and the ideas behind his book, It's Not About You! Discovering Selfless Leadership. The conversation explores connecting everyday work to a greater purpose, respecting employees' personal time, taking accountability rather than assigning blame, understanding leadership as a burden and responsibility to others, and practicing humility. Ryan's Marine Corps experience shaped a leadership philosophy centered on removing the focus from the leader and putting it on the people being led. Leaders can sustain motivation by helping people see how their everyday work contributes to a larger mission and greater purpose. Respect for employees includes protecting their personal time and thinking through how well-intentioned leadership decisions affect their lives. Effective leaders accept accountability, treat leadership as a serious responsibility, and practice humility rather than relying on status or authority. Ryan McCool served for four years in the Unites States Marine Corps as an Aviation Logistics Officer. That experience firmly shaped his selfless leadership philosophy. Following his time on active duty, Ryan received his MBA in Strategic Leadership from Penn State University. He has over ten years of corporate experience as a leader in the Supply Chain Management field. Observing a need for selfless leadership training in the corporate space, Ryan founded McCool Leadership Development to instill selfless leadership principles in businesses. He recently authored a book titled It’s Not About You! Discovering Selfless Leadership. More about Ryan: McCool Leadership Development For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com. Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever. To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune). 

In this conversation, Eric R. Alexander speaks with Paul Barnhurst about the evolving role of FP&A (financial planning and analysis) professionals, stewardship in financial leadership, and how finance can create greater value through sound analysis, business partnership, and wise decision-making. They discuss technical excellence, AI, empathy, operational understanding, communication, burnout, and the importance of presenting thoughtful recommendations rather than simply reporting numbers. How curiosity, empathy, and operational understanding distinguish exceptional FP&A professionals. The opportunities and risks AI creates for finance teams, including the need for strong data foundations and governance. Why stewardship requires finance leaders to consider both financial outcomes and the people affected by business decisions. Practical guidance for presenting analysis, influencing decisions, and partnering effectively with business leaders. Paul Barnhurst, The FP&A Guy, is a highly respected FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) professional, corporate trainer, consultant, and dynamic public speaker. As the founder of www.thefpandaguy.com, Paul is committed to sharing expert knowledge and resources in the field of finance, helping both individuals and organizations enhance their financial planning and business strategy capabilities. Paul’s academic credentials include a Master of Science in Information Management and an MBA in Finance. He also holds the prestigious FPAC (Financial Planning & Analysis Certified Professional) certification from AFP, and the FPAP (Financial Planning and Analysis Professional) from CFI and is recognized as an Advanced Finance Modeler (AFM) by the Financial Modeling Institute (FMI). These qualifications reflect his dedication to mastering the technical and strategic elements of financial planning. In addition, Paul has earned the elite distinction of Microsoft MVP for his excellence with Microsoft Excel, demonstrating his ability to harness and teach the advanced capabilities of the software, a key tool in the FP&A profession. As a recognized thought leader in the FP&A community, Paul regularly engages with his audience of over 100,000 LinkedIn followers, providing valuable insights, best practices, and tools to optimize financial processes. More about Paul: www.thefpandaguy.com For more about Eric: ericralexander.com; stewardleaderspodcast.com; sixarrowsconsulting.com. Leadership is temporary. Stewardship is about forever. To learn about Eric’s new book: Stewardship Leadership for Stinkin' Accountants: Serving as the CFO See also the LinkedIn newsletter: Musings for Steward Leaders Intro/outro music: "Fairest" performed and arranged by Eric, based on the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" (from a 17th century German hymn and folk tune).