Old Growth & New Growth

Welcome back to Everyday Leader, Shannon here with Conrad. Today I want to talk about leadership growth in the context of a metaphor — one inspired by some time we had together in person this week, walking around in nature, looking at plants and trees. There’s this idea that there’s old growth and new growth on a plant or a tree. What I learned from you this week is that sometimes you have to cut the old growth in order to let the light through, so that new things can grow.

I really appreciate you bringing this into a leadership context. We were talking about the technique of renovational pruning. As leaders, there are times we need a little renovation ourselves — to look at these older ways of showing up that may not be serving us, or may need some light shined on them to ask: is this still what I want? Is this still how I want to show up? Renovation is not necessarily about cutting everything back. It’s about examining yourself and asking: is this still serving me in this season of my life?

The question that comes up for me is: what might be trying to emerge that can’t, because of this other thing? What’s no longer serving me — and what might it actually be getting in the way of when it comes to new growth? Both of those together.

That has me think about capacity. If you cut some old growth out, sometimes four or five new sprigs can come out — that could increase your range as a leader. But before we assume all old growth needs to be pruned, I want to underline: we’re not saying that. Old growth needs to be checked in on. Asked with curiosity: is this still a part of me? Is this something I still want? Is this something I still rely on?

It’s very discerning. Even when we were talking about this in my yard — really looking up at these big limbs and assessing: if this limb comes down, what happens all the way down on the ground? It takes time and thought. And often we resist cutting the big branch because we know it will take a long time for those little new sprigs to really emerge.

Yes. When we do prune the old way, it takes time to become competent in the new growth coming up. It takes intentionality, rhythm, and practice. One of the aims in Shannon’s yard was to create a diverse ecosystem, not a monoculture. What lights up for me is this: we were talking about individual work, but it’s also an opportunity to look at the communities and relationships you’re in. There are three lenses for leadership — self, relationship, and system. You can apply this renovation idea in all three.

So give it a shot. Take a walk outside. See what you notice.

Go outside and notice it in nature as you notice it in yourself. The simple question: what’s wanting to be renovated — for the sake of what? Fill in the blank for your purpose, your world.

I love it. Thanks, Conrad.

Absolutely. Be well. Always a gift to be in conversation — live and in person and in this format too.