Searching for Buds and Blossoms
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
Yesterday morning, I took a walk in my backyard to examine my fruit trees. Every year, it’s amazing to see the trees shift from a dormant state of bare branches to a growth state full of new leaves and eventually beautiful blossoms. As I looked up at my trees, I noticed each had begun to bear fruit, each one full of tiny peaches, pears, and apples. It’s such an exciting time of year.
As leaders, we’re very similar to gardeners in that one of our primary roles is to look for buds; who on our team is the next person to blossom? Just as we might examine the plants in our gardens, we need to look very carefully at each team member. Sometimes, those buds are hard to find, but with patience and intentionality, you’ll begin to see them.
Just as gardeners need to protect their buds from harshness in the environment, leaders must do the same for their team. Two years ago, we had a late freeze that killed off almost all the apple blossoms, as well as all the peaches, eliminating the possibility of the tree bearing fruit that year. If you were to drive through the orchards near our home you’d find giant fans and smudge pots designed to move air and provide smoke on frosty nights in order to protect the blossoms. Seasoned orchard keepers know when to start the pots and fans so they can protect their fragile blossoms. After learning the hard way two years ago, I placed my patio heater out when the weather called for frost last week. As leaders we need to be asking ourselves if we’re tending to and caring for our team so that they can flourish and thrive? Are we monitoring the environment that our team members are in, and are we ready to protect them from harsh elements until they’re hearty enough to face them on their own?
Another key lesson I learned a few years ago is to thin out the fruit. I had such a bumper crop of peaches that a main branch in my tree broke. After reading up on the subject, I learned that you need to thin out the fruit so you have about five inches between the peaches. As leaders, are we careful not to overload our team? If we aren’t careful, we just might break them.
As we move into summer let’s be one the look out for the next bud; the next team member who breaks onto the scene and really shines. As leaders we need to support and cultivate our team so they can be poised for growth. Please be sure to let me know who the buds are on your team so we can all share in the excitement of watching them grow.