Bryan Liles’ Post

As I spent time in my small garden this weekend, I realized that leadership is a lot like gardening.  You plant seeds (ideas) and hope they will grow into something beautiful. You nurture the growth of your team members, providing them with the resources they need to flourish. And, just like pruning weeds, you eliminate inefficiencies and distractions that can hinder progress. But, just as you can't control the weather, you can't control all the circumstances that affect your team or organisation. You can only adapt and adjust, like a gardener adjusting to a sudden rainstorm or a surprise heatwave. Good gardeners also know when to let go, allowing their plants to grow and flourish on their own.  Similarly, good leaders know when to delegate and empower their team members to take ownership of their work. So, what's one way you can tend to your team or organisation like a gardener tends to their garden? __________________________________________________________ DM Yogesh Kabir for training on: #leadership #happiness #emotional intelligence #team building etc

Deadheading plants isn’t just a gardening task—it has a lot to teach us about leadership and communication in business. Let me explain. I’m no expert in plant care (that’s all my wife), but I do pitch in when it comes to watering and rehanging them. Today, while removing dead leaves from one plant, I realized how similar this process is to providing ongoing feedback to a team. Just as you shouldn’t wait until a plant is half-dead to start removing the dried leaves, you shouldn’t wait too long to offer constructive feedback to your team. Consistent, timely feedback helps your team grow—just like regular pruning helps plants flourish. If you wait too long to act, the whole plant might be beyond saving. Similarly, if feedback is left too late, issues may become too ingrained to fix easily. By addressing concerns early, you help prevent small problems from becoming big ones. Take the time to nurture and guide your team—just like you would with a plant—and they’ll thrive. #Feedback #Leadership

I read a book recently and highly recommend for reading if you are interested in building great teams; Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility by Jonathan Smart. One of the sections covers leadership: “Gardeners don’t try to command plants to grow with a detailed Work Breakdown Structure in a Gantt chart and milestones. With care, they tend to the garden, planting seeds, watering them, and when done, producing a varied and flourishing garden. In a leader-nurturing culture, people can build psychological safety, the single most important ingredient of a high-performing team. When a “gardener” leader is willing to risk a daisy growing where he thought a rose should grow, team members will feel safe enough to share their vulnerabilities.” So… how do you go about becoming a seasoned gardener? Excuse my puns, attempt to bring some horticultural idioms to the mix… Gardening has its seasonal routines and there are things you need to do to cultivate a thriving environment. By establishing good habits, you too can improve your leadership skills and help your team perform safely; Seasonal — take notice of the business landscape, ask yourself what has changed, what is standing out, which fruits are low hanging for easy picking. Most importantly — Have a vision to tackle the changes. Monthly — check in with core team, nurture ideas, take stock of current major work in progress. Weekly — take stock of progress, water the seeds that the team have planted; pick the best ideas for growing into bigger things. Daily — observe current work, reduce bugs and nurture new growth; cut out blockers and weeds. The key to being a gardener? I think it is to roll with the seasonal changes, develop a cultivation mindset for your team and above all — enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Our latest article on Inc Masters explores the concept of leadership through the prism of gardening, and how the essential nature of leadership is cultivational. Great piece Tahir Qazi.

Leadership is much like gardening. When new team members or followers join our community, they are like seedlings—full of potential but needing the right environment, guidance, and support to grow. As leaders, it's our responsibility to nurture their development by adapting our style to meet their needs, much as a gardener would, especially during those critical early stages. Are you providing the right garden conditions for your "seedlings" to thrive? In my latest blog post, I explore the first stage of the Plant Cycle of Follower Development and share insights on how we can cultivate growth by balancing aptitude and attitude: https://lnkd.in/eHe2emTg #Leadership #GrowthMindset #TeamDevelopment #Coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #HarringtonBrands

🌟 What if Leadership Could Grow Success as Naturally as a Gardener Cultivates a Vibrant Garden? 🌟 Imagine if leading a team was as intuitive as gardening. 🌻 Just like a gardener tends to their plants, we can apply similar principles to nurture and motivate our teams. Here’s how insights from gardening can elevate your leadership: 🌱 Nourish, Don’t Dictate: Just as yelling at plants won’t make them thrive, forcing demands on your team without support won’t produce results. True leadership involves fostering potential, not merely directing it. 🌿🤝 ⏳ Patience Over Pressure: Blaming plants for not growing quickly ignores their natural development. Similarly, putting undue pressure on your team for rapid results hampers their progress. Cultivate patience to nurture real growth. 🌷⏳ 🌾 Trust the Growth Process: Harvesting plants prematurely disrupts their development. Similarly, having faith in your team’s journey—even when progress seems slow—allows them to reach their full potential. 🌼🔄 🎯 Align Strengths with Roles: Just as gardeners select plants suited to their soil, place your team members in roles that match their strengths. This alignment fosters a stronger, more effective team. 🌍🌟 💡 Invest in Development: Watering and feeding are vital for plant health. Likewise, investing in your team’s growth through training and resources creates a foundation for success. 🌻💪 🚫 Remove Barriers: Weeds can smother healthy plants, much like negative factors can hinder team performance. Actively address and eliminate obstacles to maintain a productive environment. 🌿✨ 🌦️ Adapt to Changing Conditions: Gardeners can’t control the weather but can adapt to it. Similarly, recognize that leadership involves navigating both favorable and challenging times. Flexibility and resilience help you manage any situation. 🌦️🌈 🌟 Motivate and Inspire: Just as a gardener celebrates each bloom, acknowledge and celebrate your team’s achievements. Recognize their efforts and provide encouragement to boost morale and motivation. Share a vision that excites and unites them, and watch their enthusiasm and productivity flourish. 🌻🎉 Embracing a gardener’s approach to leadership—centered on nurturing, patience, adaptability, and motivation—supports your team’s growth and success. 🌟🌱Asit GhoshNina CondoRoselyn AdvinculaMDP UWinnipegBrent Wennekes #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #Empathy #Patience #GrowthMindset #Motivation #Adaptability #Success

WHY The People Gardener you ask? Well… it’s because I transformed my team into a Spectacular People Garden filled with Raving Fans who performed at their best and had FUN doing it! I used so many gardening tenets over the years when working with people. Energy, that’s what both bring to the table 💜 What Framework? The People Gardener Principles DM Framework to learn more 🥳 Leadership is a verb #smallbusinessowner #leadershipdevelopment #workplaceculture

Emphasising the Parable of the master gardener known for his profound wisdom and exceptional ability to nurture even the most delicate plants. People from far and wide came to seek his guidance. The Garden of Unity The gardener always emphasised the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of all life in the garden. He would say, “Each plant, each tree, and each flower depends on one another. The health of one influences the health of all.” Corporate Lesson on Teamwork: This reminds us that every team member plays a crucial role. Just as each plant in the garden must be nurtured, each employee's contributions and well-being are vital to the organization's overall success. Encouraging a culture of mutual support and recognising the interdependence of roles fosters a harmonious and productive work environment. The Art of Observation One day, a young apprentice asked the gardener how he always knew exactly what each plant needed. The gardener replied, “I observe without judgment. I see the plant as it is, NOT as I want it to be.” Corporate Lesson on Leadership: Effective leaders practice active listening and keen observation. By understanding each team member's unique strengths, challenges, and aspirations without imposing preconceived notions, leaders create an environment where employees feel seen and valued. Embracing Change The master gardener never resisted the changing seasons. He embraced the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. “Change is the nature of life,” he often reminded all “To resist change is to resist life itself.” Corporate Lesson on Adaptability: Change is also inevitable in the corporate world. Whether it’s new technology, market shifts, or organisational restructuring, embracing change with an open mind and flexible strategies is crucial. Leaders and teams that adapt quickly to changing circumstances can innovate, turning potential disruptions into opportunities. The Soil of Trust One of the gardener’s most fundamental practices was ensuring the soil was rich and fertile. “The soil is the foundation of all growth. Without trust in the SOIL, the plants cannot flourish”. Corporate Lesson on Building Trust: Trust is the foundation of any successful team or organisation. Leaders must cultivate where trust is paramount. This involves transparency, integrity, and consistent support. When employees trust their leaders and each other, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, take risks, and innovate. The Wisdom of Simplicity The gardener’s methods were always simple and natural. He avoided unnecessary complexity, focusing instead on the basic needs of his plants—water, sunlight, and good soil. “Simplicity brings clarity”. Corporate Lesson on Clarity and Focus: In the corporate realm, simplicity often leads to clarity and efficiency. Leaders should strive to simplify processes, set clear goals, and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. What truly matters is enhancing productivity and reducing stress.

Creating culture is more like gardening than brick-laying Brick-laying is complicated, but predictably grows a structure in a linear direction; brick by brick. It's resilient and logical. It requires a specific set of known skills. Gardening, on the other hand, is dynamic and infinitely variable. You're accounting for unpredictable changes in dozens of forces. You can't rush it. You cultivate, but ultimately wait for things to grow. It requires a level of alchemy. Building culture, like gardening, is dynamic and infinite. In a given culture, two people can do the same thing and have drastically different outcomes. Two people can tell the same joke and one experience laughter and the other cringe. Relationships require that leaders learn to dance with their team's unique combination of personalities, preferences, and perspectives. The best leaders intuitively understand this, and cultivate attunement and flexibility. Phil Jackson stands out as a master of culture.

🎯 Why Organizational Development is Like Gardening 🌱 Think of your organization as a garden. To flourish, it needs the right mix of elements—just like plants need sunlight, water, and rich soil. Organizational Development (OD) is your master gardener. 🌼 Plant the Seeds: With OD, you’re not just solving problems; you’re planting the seeds for innovation and growth. It's about cultivating the right culture, where ideas bloom and collaboration thrives. 💧 Nurture the Growth: Just as gardens need consistent care, organizations need ongoing development. OD ensures that your team has the support and resources they need to grow strong and resilient. 🌳 Prune for Strength: Sometimes, a little pruning is necessary—removing obstacles and refining processes to let the best parts of your organization shine. OD helps you identify what’s holding you back and trims it away, so your team can reach new heights. 🌟 Harvest the Rewards: A well-tended garden rewards you with a bountiful harvest. Similarly, an organization that invests in development reaps the benefits of increased productivity, innovation, and long-term success. Let’s cultivate our organizations with the care they deserve—because growth isn’t just about reaching the sky, it’s about nourishing the roots. #OrganizationalDevelopment #Leadership #GrowthMindset #TeamBuilding #BusinessStrategy