Are You Rootbound?
A leader knows behind any growing business, is an even bigger, growing leader. Leadership development, the time and expense of it, are the truest measurements of a leader fully committed to growth and a business that can afford it. To arrive at a place that can afford you the luxury of spending time developing yourself, means you have curated an equally developed business. A business that can support the expense of its most crucial system, Leadership.
As I work with leaders, from all the over the world, I see the conflict they live in about why things are not moving forward in their business. And let me tell you, I have heard of a lot of conflicts. Sluggish sales, lousy marketing strategies, mismanaged employees and aimless leaders following their business’s like good soldiers. Marching on, doing the only thing you know what to do, even though it is taking you in circles. Am I talking to one now?
Have you ever bought a root bound plant? I sure have and it breaks my heart every time. This small lack of care is essentially what will eventually kill any thriving plant. Truth be told, I have a slight obsession over plants. Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse, hoop house and even fairy houses; I love all green things that literally breath life into me. It is those that get confined into pots that I become most concerned about. Their life is dependent on the space and contents of that pot. That single, supportive, important space that supports its life…or not. And the quickest thing that happens when unhappy in its home, is it becomes root bound and suffocates itself. It must be a painful way to go.
Are you suffocating on your inability to grow because of your current environment?
Inspect Your Current Pot
The first thing I do when buying a plant is inspect how well it is doing in the container it is in. And similarly, I do the same thing when I work with a new business owner. I look for the signs that the pot, quite frankly, is killing it. Whether you are like my beautiful Monstera that was so root bound it grew through the pot or this delicate aloe I have that finds comfort in small spaces; every being needs the right space to grow. Including you.
What does your workspace, self-management tools, leadership strategies and work life balance look like? How is your health and self esteem? Each of you will have different pots and if you are even unclear of what your needs are, it is time to give yourself some attention and assess what you really want and need to survive as a human.
Successful Transplant
When I get into a transplant, depending on the plant, depends on what I will do with it. Sometimes my ideal wish for its next stage of life, is not possible based on the trauma that has occurred from its current situation.
Take that aloe I was talking about. The ideal thing is to really think how big you want your plant to be and set it up for that success. Most plants thrive in big spaces. Well, not that Aloe. It has been transplant after transplant, as I give it just enough space to grow, but not so much it gets scared.
You are the same way. You need the right transplant to support how you grow. A delicate, yet forward moving transition to get you spending the right amount of time developing your leadership role…and hence, yourself. It is critical for surviving the transplant. I would rather nurture my sensitive, yet beautiful Aloe, than not have it at all.
New Care
If you change something, you need to ensure you understand how to retain that change. You slip into old patterns, because you didn’t change what was necessary to sustain the original change. You still tracking me?
Look at other systems that are going to support a successful transplant. For myself, self management tools, work standards, personal changes and conversations are necessary for a development change. For my plants? Nutrients, bark, pots, water, sun and shade are all key things I need to identify for a successful transplant.
Are you root bound?
It is an investment, that over time, will be your greatest ROI in the business. I wonder if Michael Gerber would say it is the most critical part of an entrepreneur’s life. If an entrepreneur never grows, can they even be called an entrepreneur?