Vernal equinox, March 20th, marks the beginning of spring, a change of seasons with signs of new life and an invitation to consider new possibilities. The frozen earth breaks open as the crocus and daffodil announce their arrival. The barren branches of the trees gently transform as spirited singing birds find their way home.
What are the implications for leaders during this season of new life?
Springtime proclaims that from the dark frozen days of winter, new life will come. As we reflect on the change of seasons, we have an opportunity to consider what we need to do to invite new life, energy and passion into the organizations that we serve.
I am reminded of a wonderful story in Rachel Naomi Remen’s book, “My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging.” The author describes an experience that she had with her beloved grandfather when she was a young child.
“Often when he came to visit, my grandfather would bring me a present… Once he brought me a paper cup… filled with dirt. ‘If you promise to put water in the cup every day, something may happen,’ he said… and so I promised… It made no sense to me at all… As nothing changed, it got harder and harder to remember to water the cup. But I did not miss a single day. And one morning, there were two little green leaves that had not been there the night before. Day by day, they got bigger. I could not wait to tell my grandfather, certain that he would be as surprised as I was. But, of course, he was not. Carefully, he explained to me that life is everywhere, hidden in the most ordinary and unlikely places. ‘And all it needs is water, Grandpa?’ I asked him. ‘No,’ he said. ‘All it needs is your faithfulness.'”
Of course there are no guarantees, and yet as leaders, we must believe that “hidden in the most ordinary places” there is new life. It is challenging in the winter of team dynamics, to believe in that possibility.
Master gardners
We are often invited to work with leaders to help them strengthen their relationships with one another. For any CEO, it takes renewed confidence in the possibility. He/she must be willing to commit to the ritual and routine. It does take faithfulness to provide the soil and water in order to nourish the talent of team members so that they become more effective in their roles, capable of seeding and nourishing talent within the organization. It does take faithfulness. It is easy to become fatigued by difficult communication and misunderstandings. And yet, the benefit of engaging in the process, faithfully committing our energy to relationship and team development, in the end, will create the leadership that our organizations long for.
How do we ensure that we are doing our part to engage our leadership team in the process of creating a vernal equinox?
We begin by creating the time and space for meaningful conversation. The demands on our time are increasingly more challenging. It is easy to forfeit the time to nourish relationships in order to attend to necessary business tasks. However, over time, the cost may be deadly. Without a commitment to nourish leadership relationships trust erodes, mixed messages emerge, and the organization suffers an impossible winter.
What is the nature of the conversation?
In order to advance a change of season in our leadership teams, we must be willing to risk transparency. We must have the courage to be vulnerable; to admit mistakes and ask for forgiveness. We must be willing to forgive others for their missteps along the way.
We must be willing to engage in conflict honestly and kindly, without assigning blame.
As leaders, we must be willing to give voice to our belief in one another, appreciating that our collective wisdom will serve the organization in a way that no single leader can.
When will we recognize a vernal equinox in our leadership relationships?
Once we commit to ongoing meaningful conversation, we will begin to see signs of spring. As we encourage one another and believe in one another, we will recognize an openness in our communication: safety during the springtime storms; humor, support, and collaboration.
We will be more inclined to appreciate the unique talent of one another and enjoy celebrating our individual and collective success. That energy and spirit will spill into the organization. We will have the capacity to nourish and support emerging talent, creating the garden of support that will sustain greater success for the organization into our desired future.
Our success depends on our capacity to believe that “new life is everywhere, hidden in the most ordinary and unlikely places.”
Welcome Spring!
