steer vs take the helm

steer

verb
  • To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm. 

  • To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action. 

  • To direct a group of animals. 

  • To direct a conversation. 

  • To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel). 

  • To castrate (a male calf). 

  • To direct or send an object into a specific place 

  • To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action. 

noun
  • A suggestion about a course of action. 

  • The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production. 

take the helm

verb
  • To assume responsibility for steering a ship 

  • To take over responsibility (of something) from someone else 

How often have the words steer and take the helm occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )