Limp Lettuce Leadership

Just as quality soil is essential for growing nourishing food, the health of our organisational environment determines the well-being of our people and the ideas they cultivate.

Think about it: you can produce a head of lettuce quickly in sandy soil - fast and cheap, but ultimately tasteless and lacking in nutrients. Yet, many businesses operate like factories, pushing out more of the same without considering the quality of what they’re producing or the purpose behind it. At this rate, how many healthy 'harvests' can we expect? Not many.

Consider the challenges leaders face today. Many enter coaching sessions feeling exhausted, overwhelmed by their overflowing inboxes, and running on empty. It's no surprise they struggle to create the meaningful change we know is essential. It's akin to attempting to grow vibrant vegetables in barren, lifeless soil. Instead of adding quick fixes, we need to dig deeper - into what truly nourishes us and the kind of leadership we wish to foster.

This brings us to Stage One: Nourishing the Soil. In this stage, we help leaders uncover their deepest motivations - often hidden from view - that, once recognised, will continue to enrich the organisational environment. By accessing this energy, leaders can cultivate the mindset necessary for genuine growth. Only then can we transition to Stage Two: Nurturing the Tree, which encompasses our goals for people, planet, and profit.

Once we embark on Stage One, momentum builds. Others will notice the change, and the leader will naturally attract interest and support. For instance, I am currently coaching a Chief Sustainability Officer at a major airline. She is focusing on her own energy levels, ensuring the topsoil doesn’t turn to dust through burnout. I believe that most individuals do not come to work intending to make the world worse; rather, they become trapped in systems that are unfit for purpose and crumbling around them. With the constant barrage of negativity and crisis, maintaining our energy and overall well-being becomes increasingly challenging.

We encourage everyone we work with to carve out a little time each day for activities that bring them joy and energy - often unrelated to work or responsibilities. Whether it’s shooting hoops, playing the electric guitar, writing poetry, painting or for me being in the natural world, these moments of flow are essential for managing our energy levels on a daily basis, hour by hour.

So, what kind of soil are you cultivating? If it’s draining your energy, it may be time for a re-evaluation. When you get the foundation right, everything else follows.

Call to Action:

Ditch the factory mindset. Slow down, rebuild your soil, and cultivate something beneficial for yourself, your organisation, and our world. After reading this, commit to starting today with one small habit that brings you joy. At your next meeting, share this commitment with others and explain why: we all need the highest quality soil possible to grow meaningful outcomes, and it begins with each of us.