once you reach clan level 3, the pre-requisite needed to make your own kingdom, leadership skill explodes- at least for me it has. assign myself as quartermaster in clan roles, gives more troops. then keep keep a generous amount of food variety. use 1 or 2 companions to create other parties and staff them with some good troops and send them out to raid and do quests, they earn you reputation. ever so often go to kingdom tab, create army, then call your companion parties to your army, then go sack a castle. if you want or need advice ( though its a bit outdated since we've had several patches) go to youtube and watch some of the players guides by italianspartacus or ESO
steward is really only useful when you are at clan level 3 and have started your own kingdom. helps you get the most of your fiefs.
one of the best ways to get along is hire companions with high skills to compliment your own. you want to hire companions with these descriptors: the golden, the prince, knowing, the falcon, and surgeon. hit "n" key to open encyclopedia, click heroes, then go down and tick the wanderer box. click on the names to find the best ones with the best skills and where they are at. more will spawn into your game as you and the clan level up.
another thing to do is get a spouse, wife/husband to which ever gender your character is ( they dont count against your companion limit). again, use the encyclopedia- heroes -female ( for a wife), noble. if you are empire, sora is just about the best one for an administrator to assign as govenor to your castle or city. i chose ira, rhagea's daughter- okay on the administration side, but really good martial skills ( my character is specialized in trading and smithing with just a good bow skill) it was tough to catch up with her , but well worth it once i got her.