Emerging Growth
John Thalheimer
Assisting Leaders to Improve Employee Management Practices from Strategy, Execution and Compliance
The robin gently landed on the fence about six feet from where I stood. It contemplated me for a minute and then pushed off heading north. I was in my garden, removing last year’s growth and preparing the soil for spring. It was the kind of day that even though a bitterly cold wind blew, you knew spring was on its way.
Earlier, as I stood on my front porch, looking at the garden, all I saw was the browns, tans, and the brunt umbers of winter landscapes. But now, in the garden, I could see the greens and reds of new growth pushing up through the soil.
We sometimes forget that underneath the frost, the seeds we planted are readying themselves for the spring.
As a leadership guide, somewhere in their journey, my clients will struggle with the amount of effort they are given for the incremental progress they are making. However, as a person who has walked this path hundreds of times, I know that a time will come when they start seeing the bounty of their efforts.
A few will quit.
However, most trudge on, encouraged by the small steps they have made and the hope that something better is on the horizon. And when that first hint of growth, maybe it was positive feedback from an executive, maybe it was encouraging words from a coworker, maybe it was being confident in a tense situation, the knowing the effort was worth it.
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As leaders, we need to search for those first signs of growth and nurture them. A simple handwritten note, recognizing their growth. Assigning them additional responsibility to show our trust in them. Providing them with the resources and training they need to take their performance to the next level.
Sitting back, at the end of the day, I wait. The seeds I planted last year will soon flower, bringing joy into the world.
John Thalheimer
CEO Partner and Leadership Coach at True Star Leadership
This spring I am offering a 25% discount on The Star Emerging Leaders Coaching Sessions. Six-session coaching that includes goal setting, leadership assessment, and accountability sessions to remove barriers and fuel progress. If you are interested, call me at 615-461-0303 or email me at john@johnthalheimer.com