Teamwork...in a Tree?

Redwoods are truly magical, majestical beings.  I say "beings," because I had the blessing of walking among them a few years ago on a trip through Muir Woods with my husband. You can feel the life force bursting through them, as you walk the canopies.

A typical Redwood tree stands taller than the Statue of Liberty, and it is larger around than a Greyhound bus.  They have populated the earth since the time of the dinosaurs - so they must be doing something right, right?  Here are a few reasons why they can give us insight into teamwork:

1) Redwoods, rather than growing deep roots, have a shallow root base that grows LATERALLY.  They interconnect with other Redwood roots to form a web of chain-strength roots - virtually impenetrable to even the fiercest tsunami.  That's working together!

2) When it is knocked down/over, a Redwood doesn't die.  It keeps growing through its limbs to the tree base surrounding it.  The nutrients from the other Redwoods help the limbs come to life.  The burls of the trees shower down life in the form of micronutrients more powerful than any antioxidant or vitamin a human could take.  It takes the village....

3) When threatened by environmental stress, such as fire, draught or flooding - Redwood bark becomes impenetrable. The bark serves as a heat & water shield against the elements.  Not only does it have its own "battle armor," that same armor adapts over time to the climate.  If the water table rises, the root system will rise with it.  Resilience is the name of the game!

So here's what I leave you with - do you empower your team (or yourself) to work together; grow via each other's wisdom & "nutrients;" and develop a plan of resilience during adaptive change?

Others can say "like a rock" as a slogan - I'll stick with "like a redwood!"