Leaders wear many hats, no doubt, but rarely do we think about a leader serving as the head gardener for the team or the organization.
If you’re a leader, aspire to be a leader, or even – and especially – if you want to be more intentional in the way you lead your life, then hopefully my analogy will resonate with you. Feel free to insert the context or situation that you most want to focus on – whether that be leading your team at work, your career, your significant relationship, your family, your health/fitness, or your life as a whole. Here, I’ll speak to leading a team.
At a minimum I hope to give you something to think about.
Gardening and working in my yard has always been therapeutic for me. My mama was a walking encyclopedia of plants, so I came to it very early in life. And oh, BTW, how I miss being able to ask her for advice on what to plant where!
So, thinking of yourself as the head gardener means that (and for this analogy we’ll focus on a vegetable garden), consider these concepts:
1) Decide on your vision.
You need to first decide what veggies you want to be able to eat come harvest time. That will determine what kind of seeds you plant and nourish. You reap what you sow. Duh. Thanks Captain Obvious, right?
You can’t say you want to be able to eat a nice Italian salad, but then plant rutabagas instead of tomatoes, and wonder why you ended up growing rutabagas. Can you say stoopid on steroids?
In leading your team, you’ll need to first decide on your vision for the organization. This is when you zoom out to look at the big picture. What goals or outcomes do you want? Have you ever mapped out, as a team, your mission, vision, and values? What is your Why? What do you stand for as an organization? What will success look like? Many organizations never take the time to do this and wonder why their team is all over the map.
Oh, and BTW, making money is not a compelling mission, vision, or value that will motivate the team.
2) Create a healthy environment.
Your vegetables won’t grow well unless you’ve established a nourishing environment for them. The first step to a healthy environment is making sure you’ve got healthy soil. This is the foundation.
Your team also needs to have an environment where they can flourish. Make sure your systems, processes, and expectations are supporting growth and productivity. Carefully assess all that you’re doing and make sure that you’re not inadvertently setting your team up for failure.
3) Know each plant’s/team member’s strengths, limitations, needs, and sweet spot.
Newsflash: A one-size-fits-all approach to leading your team won’t get you very far. Get to know and treat each person as an individual, with unique qualities and gifts, as well as specific needs and preferences.
4) Weed out any and everything that will distract you.
We know how if left unchecked, weeds can choke and overwhelm your vegetable plants. So, too with distractions like unnecessary ‘Reply All’ emails, (or is that just me?) unproductive meetings, (like that could put an insomniac to sleep), and too many competing goals. Make sure everyone is clear on the few, most important goals and support them in weeding out anything that gets in the way of achieving those goals.
5) Celebrate and enjoy the fruits of your labors.
Don’t skip the celebrations! This is important for team morale, inspiration, bonding, and employee engagement and well-being. To skip this would be to grow some beautiful veggies and then to just let them rot on the vine without picking and enjoying them. Here’s a few creative ways to party like it’s 1999 without breaking the bank.
It seems like a lot of pre-planning and intentionality, and that’s just the point. To get to the results that you want tomorrow, you have to be willing to invest today.
If you’d like some help growing a successful “garden,” let’s talk! Schedule a complimentary call with me and we’ll identify the program or solution best suited for your needs.
You might also like:
The Best-Kept Secret of High Performing Teams
Lead Yourself and Your Team Out of the Land of Stuck
Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication. In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.
