An idea (the gardener)

Great leadership is a lot like gardening.

I’ve seen it firsthand, through the gardeners who shaped me.

My wife – who affectionately calls flowers "God's sprinkles” – and my mom find deep joy in their gardens.

My grandmother, who lived to 103, found peace in her garden even in her final years. I can still picture her mowing her lawn and taking care of her flower beds well into her 90’s.

And my father marked each of my birthdays by planting a tree—celebrating life with more life.

Here are five timeless lessons from gardening that will transform your leadership:

1. Growth Takes Time

You don't see results the day after planting a seed.

From the outside looking in, it looks like nothing is happening.

Yet underground, roots are forming. Connections are deepening. And if you wait, something remarkable will emerge.

When Bob Bowman coached Michael Phelps, he focused on building fundamentals for years before Olympic success.

Brilliance in the basics.

His patience ultimately produced the most decorated Olympian in history—showing that taking a long view on people development isn't just nice, it's necessary.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

— Robert Louis Stevenson

Do This Today: Identify one area or person where you're feeling impatient. Pause and ask: Am I nurturing growth or merely demanding it?

Something to Watch: The number of "growth conversations" you have with team members each month that focus on long-term development rather than immediate performance.

Overcoming Resistance: When you’re pressured to show instant results, remember: Growth is often invisible before it’s inevitable.

When stakeholders demand immediate wins, reframe the conversation: "We're building capability, not just chasing quotas. Our quarterly goal is still X, but we're developing the team's capacity to sustainably deliver X+20% by year-end." Remember that patience isn't passive—it's strategic investment.

2. You Have to Prepare the Soil

A skilled gardener doesn't simply scatter seeds on hard ground.

They till. They test. They enrich. Because even the best seed won't thrive in poor soil.

Pixar's leadership understood this when they designed their headquarters with a central atrium where employees from different departments would naturally encounter each other. This intentional "soil preparation" through environmental design helped produce an extraordinary run of creative successes.

Do This Today: Ask your team: "What one thing about our environment makes it easier—or harder—for you to flourish?"

Something to Watch: Psychological safety scores from anonymous team surveys, measuring whether people feel they can speak up, take risks, and be themselves.

Overcoming Resistance: When culture work feels like a “nice to have,” remember:
Environment is the invisible multiplier of all other efforts. It’s not extra work—it’s essential work.
Even a simple 15-minute weekly ritual that builds trust can yield more productivity than hours of tactical direction in a fearful culture.

3. Pruning Is Part of Progress

Healthy growth isn't just about adding more. It requires cutting back what no longer serves the plant—whether that's withered leaves or overgrowth blocking sunlight.

During the development of "Toy Story 2," Pixar made the painful decision to essentially start over halfway through production, pruning away months of work because the story wasn't working. This difficult pruning decision ultimately saved the film and established a principle that continues to guide their creative process.

Do This Today: Identify one thing you need to prune this month—from your calendar, your culture, or your leadership habits.

Something to Watch: Your team's "Say No" ratio—the percentage of potential initiatives evaluated and declined compared to those accepted.

Overcoming Resistance: When pruning feels like loss, remember:
Every “yes” costs energy that could fuel something better.
Instead of fearing what you cut, celebrate the clarity you create. Apply the “if we add X, we must remove Y” rule to protect focus and prevent burnout. Pruning isn’t failure—it’s strategic focus.

4. You Can't Grow Everything at Once

Master gardeners don't plant everything in every season. They rotate. They rest the soil. They focus.

Southwest Airlines thrived by maintaining what Jim Collins calls a "Hedgehog Concept"—focusing exclusively on being the low-cost provider in their industry and declining opportunities that didn't align with this focus. This disciplined concentration allowed them to succeed while competitors who tried to be everything to everyone struggled.

"To everything there is a season..."

— Ecclesiastes 3:1

Do This Today: Choose one area to focus your leadership attention on this week—and give yourself permission to let the rest lie fallow.

Something to Watch: Decision quality score—rate your major decisions monthly on whether they received adequate attention or were rushed due to competing priorities.

Overcoming Resistance: When you feel pulled in every direction, remember:
Success usually comes from doing fewer things better.
FOMO will tempt you to say yes to everything. Instead, frame it positively: “We’re choosing to excel at X before moving to Y.”
Sequential focus builds momentum that multitasking never will.

5. Every Season Has Its Purpose

Spring is for planting. Summer is for tending. Fall is for harvesting. Winter is for resting, reflecting, and preparing the soil again.

Emil Zatopek, one of history's greatest distance runners, pioneered interval training—alternating between periods of intense effort and recovery. This approach recognized that performance improvement happens during recovery, not just during active work. The same principle applies to organizational rhythms.

Do This Today: Ask yourself, "What season am I in right now?" Then consider: "What is the essential work of this season?"

Something to Watch: Team energy levels throughout various project phases, noting where energy rises and falls naturally and adjusting expectations accordingly.

Overcoming Resistance: When constant busyness feels like the only option, remember:
Even the richest soil needs fallow seasons to regenerate.
Protect “winter” periods of reflection and restoration between big initiatives. They’re not downtime—they’re the preparation for your next great harvest.

The Wisdom of Garden Leadership

Leadership isn't about force or control. It's about faithful cultivation.

You plant what matters. You prune what no longer serves.

And you show up day after day—trusting that what's buried now may bloom later, often in ways more beautiful than you imagined.

This week, I invite you to lead like a gardener:
Know your season. Tend your soil. Trust the process.

Quick Start Guide: Beginning Your Garden Leadership Journey

Not sure where to start? Here's a simple approach:

Assess Your Current Season - Are you in a planting phase (new initiatives), a growing phase (developing existing work), a harvest phase (delivering results), or a rest phase (reflection and renewal)? Identify your season first, then focus on the work appropriate to that season.
Start With Soil Preparation - Of all the principles, creating the right environment yields the quickest returns. Ask your team the soil question this week, implement one improvement, and watch what happens.
Choose One Thing to Prune - Nothing creates immediate space like effective pruning. Identify one meeting, process, or expectation that's draining energy with minimal return, and eliminate it this week.
Practice Patience Visibly - Model the patience you're cultivating by publicly acknowledging that something important is "still developing underground" and showing your continued investment in it despite lack of visible progress.
Schedule Your Seasons - Block time on your calendar now for your next "winter" period—even if it's just a day for strategic reflection. Protect this time as you would any other critical commitment.

Remember, garden leadership isn't an all-or-nothing approach. Start with one principle, practice it consistently, and watch how it changes your leadership ecosystem.

With you on the growing journey,

Cal

A question

What 'season' are you and your team (or family) currently in, and how might acknowledging that season change your approach?

A quote and resource

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

— Warren Buffett

The Mission

I am on a mission to help thousands of leaders gain clarity, courage, community, and consistency in their lives. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

I'm rooting for you,

Cal

➡️ When you're ready, I can help you gain more joy and deep clarity with my Core Values Mini Course. It has helped over 150 leaders live a truly intentional life. Join here 🎯

Intentional Letter: The Gardener