Effective Leaders are Gardeners

For many summers, I have enjoyed working in my rose garden, and last year I even started a vegetable garden.  As a result, I have come to learn how important it is to create and maintain the right environment to promote a plant’s growth.  For my roses, it is essential for me to be diligent in battling against black spot, beetles and aphids, and the battle does not end until the first frost of the Fall.  If I slack off against any of these rose enemies, my rose bushes will not produce their beautiful flowers, and even worse, they may die.

As Dr. Tim Elmore points out in his second Habitudes book, people are like plants.  They need to have the right environment in which to develop to their full potential.  While God is our Master Gardener, He still provides people in our lives who act gardeners for our souls.  Sometimes we call these folks mentors or coaches.  In either case, these folks are essential in helping us blossom into all that God intends us to be.

Dr. Elmore suggests six ways that human gardeners help cultivate their people:

1.      They use word pictures through telling stories, using metaphors and similes so that concepts are more easily remembered.

2.      Effective mentors are able to simplify and summarize concepts to make them more easily transferable into real life situations.  Doing so enables their people to quickly apply the lessons and grow them into healthy habits.

3.      Effective coaches provide an effective game plan.  They communicate the big picture, the current situation, the direction that needs to be taken, and what pitfalls need to be avoided.

4.      Providing a safe environment in which to test developing skills is a key to growth.  Good mentors create an emotionally safe environment for their people to try new things while offering constructive criticism to promote further growth.

5.      Every plant needs a healthy root system to anchor it.  If the roots are not healthy, then the whole plant suffers and in the end, dies.  Our roots are our personal morals and values.  An effective mentor demonstrates a high level of personal integrity and teaches it to each student.

6.      A good mentor empowers their people to attempt great things without fearing failure.  By cultivating an environment of grace, their people feel free to attempt great things knowing that no matter the outcome their mentor will be there cheering them on.*

Think about what kind of environment or soil you are cultivating in the lives of those you are mentoring.  Do you see your people flourishing or wilting?  As you look at these six areas, what do you need to adjust so that your people start to grow as individuals and as a team?  Remember, as you promote an environment of grace, not only with your people flourish, but your productivity and bottom line will too.

*(Elmore, Dr. Timothy.  Habitudes Book 2, Growing Leaders, Inc. Atlanta, GA, 2006)