When it comes to Leadership- Lead like a Gardener! Cultivate TRUST and INSPIRE.

A few days ago I attended a conference and listened to the wise words of Stephen M.R. Covey speaking about leaders of people needing to have the mindset of a gardener- creating conditions for them to flourish and blossom.?This is very true.?Leaders need to cultivate the conditions that allow growth in each individual similarly to how a gardener cultivates the ideal setting for each plant to grow; different locations, soil type, time to plant, time to fertilize, and even time to sow.?I personally found this analogy to be remarkable, because I often find myself lost for hours in my own garden, tending to each area differently, and thinking about the same thing.?It never ceases to amaze me how some plants need maximum sun, others need shade, some need constant moisture, others barely need watering, some need regular fertilizing, others once a season, etc.?The more I learn about gardening, the more I realize I need to continue to learn!

One of the stories he (Steven M.R. Covey) told during this discussion was especially impactful- he spoke about the Death Valley, a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert as being the hottest place on earth, with temperatures reaching over 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and nothing growing there for those reasons.?He mentioned one year (I don’t recall if it was 2001 or 2005) it rained 6 inches, something that never happens.?And miraculously, vegetation started to appear everywhere, from a single downpour!?His reasoning was that there were seeds under that flat, backed in soil that would only germinate under the right conditions, even waiting decades to do so.?And what they witnessed was a surfacing of a green spread that they’d never seen before.

Taking this back to the gardening analogy- people are very much like plants.?They need all the right conditions to flourish.?We can even think about those who love the outdoors, and other that prefer indoors.?Some plants need direct sunlight, others prefer the shade.?Some need moist soil, others prefer dry soil.?Some will need a little boost each season, with some Peat moss or fertilizer, while others don’t need much to start sprouting.?And let’s not forget the many varieties of plants- the bulbs, the annuals, the perennials, the succulents, the shrubs, the trees…you get the picture.?There are countless types of plants, and each variety needs its unique conditions.?Much like people.

Getting back to thinking about leadership’s mission, it’s all about understanding what each person needs.?Do they need constant direction, or do they prefer complete autonomy??Do they need continuous feedback and praise, or do they prefer occasional and minimal acknowledgement and in a more formalized way??Are they interested in stretching their skillset and taking on vast new challenges, or do they prefer very routine, known work patterns??And what specifically are their strengths- so they can be placed in their space of maximum strengths.?It all makes sense when you really think about it.?The role of a leader is a nurturer, a guide, a cultivator of talent.?But if he/she doesn’t provide the appropriate conditions, it can spell disaster for the individual they’re leading.?Take for example sudden climate changes in the workforce- situations where a merger or acquisition considerably changes the work environment- from what work is being done by whom, to the format it gets delivered, to the audience it is being delivered to, to all the rules changing overnight. ?Similarly to a sudden ice storm in June, after all the perennial plants have begun to bloom and are in their happy sprouting phase, the ice comes down and wilts all the plants, who can’t survive in such cold climates at certain stages of growth maturity.?

Things to consider, as a leader (with the mindset of a gardener):

1)???What individual is needed in what role (what plant serves what purpose)- the appropriate skillset matching for the individual role is key.?For example, you’re unlikely to place a developer in a Service Desk role, and vice versa.

2)???What resources does the individual need, including work environment, training, supporting peers; similar to what soil type is needed, the amount of sun, water and supplemental nutrients when planting.

3)???What care and feeding does the individual need to mature in their role- this is guidance, feedback, coaching and even mentoring; ?similar to specific fertilizers needed for specific plants, and even pruning and thinning routines at different times of the year.

4)???What corrective actions/improvement plan does the person need to help redirect them onto the right path; similar to when we see signs of drying leaves, infected branches, or even rotting roots on a plant- each has its own remedy.

5)???What can be done to grow this person further and expand them into the next role; similar to evaluating the size of the pot the plant is in and when it has outgrown its current pot or needs to be transplanted into a different location with more space/better conditions for its next stage of growth.?Some may even be ok with cross-pollinating or propagating other plants.

The more you take interest in learning about the uniqueness of the people you lead, the more you’re inclined to figure out what makes them tick, and how to tease out their very best, to help them shine.?But this all takes patience- a ton of patience in fact.?Similarly to how a gardener starts off with a flat plot, and has to knead the soil, rake it, fertilize, plant and irrigate it, there’s a ton of waiting and watching (and praying.)?There is no guarantee that every individual you’ll lead will be an ultimate success, after all, much of this is on the individual’s desire to succeed.?Yet the role of the leader is to continuously cultivate the optimal environment for the individual to succeed, and to give them every opportunity to do so.?When the people you lead feel that you truly care about them as individuals, and are rooting for them and their success, they give you their best, they show up and perform beyond your (and their) wildest dreams.?But you just have to believe in the process, and be willing to do the work, believe in the future.?Plant the garden.?People who plant gardens, believe in the future!

Here's another nugget I’ll leave you with, an article published in Forbes: Key to Great Leadership? ?Be a gardener, not a mechanic

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeanduncan/2016/07/09/a-key-to-great-leadership-be-a-gardener-not-a-mechanic/?sh=6272b0545385