Leadership is Helping Things Grow

Last updated on: April 14, 2015 at 4:40 am by Greg Richardson

Leadership is Helping Things Grow 2015-04-14T04:40:51-08:00 Greg Richardson

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People who help things grow impress me.

As a boy, I grew up surrounded by people who helped things like corn, soybeans, and other crops grow. I have never been a farmer, though my friends include farmers, gardeners, even landscape architects.

It takes hard work and wisdom to help things grow.

Much of the work happens before anything is actually growing. The ground needs to be fed and watered, prepared for planting. Ground that has been frozen or not produced much lately needs to be plowed. Any resistance to growing things needs to be anticipated and responses readied. Only after a good deal of work can planting and actual growing get started.

Helping things grow follows a cycle of activity and patience. There is strenuous hard work balanced with waiting to see what happens.

The leaders who inspire me are very good at helping things grow. They appreciate the cycle of working and waiting. The leaders who inspire me have insight into what can grow where. They prepare the ground, breaking down resistance. Their leadership plants good seeds, then cares for the plants they produce. They are invested in the results of their efforts, and know the benefits of waiting to see what happens.

My friends know they cannot force things to grow. They work hard to help, but cannot control whether growth takes place. They plan well, work hard to do their best, try to make wise choices, and hope for growth. The leaders who inspire me have learned the importance of waiting to see what happens.

Each of us leads in ways that affect how we, and other people, grow.

What is your leadership helping grow today?

Where is leadership growing in you?

Is it more important to you to work actively, or to wait and see what happens?

[Image by USFS Region 5]

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