{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"LTL 128: Creating A Thriving Environment For Growth","description":"Do you have a green thumb? Maybe you are a master gardener. You can make anything grow! If this isn\u2019t you, you can probably think of someone you know who has a masterful touch with all things potted or planted. Whether soil prep, positioning for appropriate sunshine, or knowing exactly how much water is required, they make a thriving environment for growth. Green Thumb For Growth For others of us, it\u2019s like art. You can\u2019t draw a straight line, but comparatively, you could replicate the Mona Lisa before you could make a plant grow! It makes me laugh because I know there have been times when a little research might have been the difference in the survivability rate of a particular plant. And guess what? You can\u2019t do the same things in Arizona as you do in Utah to grow a plant outside. Ginger and I are definitely finding that out first hand! For instance, I love jalapenos. Ginger always planted a few in our garden when we lived in Utah. They were wonderful and would freeze well if I didn\u2019t eat all of them. My dad, Larry Slemons, always had a variety of pepper plants at their home in Colorado and would also share keeping me well-stocked. It started further back than that though. My mom\u2019s sister, Aunt Shirley, and Uncle Bob, live in Stratford, Oklahoma. And my earliest memories of being at their place, were of Uncle Bob eating jalapenos with EVERYTHING. Literally, he ate them all the time. Because I was introduced to them fairly early, I\u2019ve always liked the hot\/spicy side of food. Whether mexican, asian, indian, etc\u2026, I like it with some kick. I don\u2019t like hot just for the sake of it though. I enjoy it when it adds something to the food besides just burning your mouth! And jalapenos have always been my favorite. I like certain ghost pepper salsas and habanero peppers are good, but my default is generally jalapeno. All Things Aren\u2019t Equal So what does this have to do with creating an environment for growth? Well, when we got to Arizona, we thought we would plant a jalapeno plant in a pot (we don\u2019t have a garden here) and see if could produce some jalapenos. But the circumstances are considerably different. You are probably a plant expert, but I didn\u2019t realize that jalapenos do best when the temperature is between 65 and 80 degrees. Here in Arizona, that means winter. We\u2019ve had summer temps this year as high as 116 degrees. A jalapeno will start to struggle to produce fruit when the temperature is above 90 degrees. So, as you can guess, results will vary. While the soil and water requirements aren\u2019t different based on the two locations, the temperature and penetrating sunlight is definitely a big difference. Even plants that love the heat and require full sun, like our lemon and grapefruit trees, can be damaged if you don\u2019t guard against the unmitigated exposure to full sunshine in the heat of summer when the trees are young. The Environment For Growth If you don\u2019t take the environment into account, whether subtle or major cultural differences, the growth that you might experience can be hampered. And it can be discouraging. On a personal level, you might have found that a change has inhibited your ability (or your team\u2019s ability) to grow. There are few things worse than gardening without results. Is there a more difficult job than farming? My granddad was a farmer in Nebraska. And while I did not grow up on a farm, I got to listen to innumerable stories that convey both the thrill and the heartache of farming. Ginger\u2019s parents live in southeastern Colorado. Lots of farms that focus on wheat and corn. Again, more stories than I can recount where hardship and difficulty were prelims to moments of great success. And that reminded me of a post I saw from Mr. Gary Frey on LinkedIn. I\u2019ll include a link in the show notes where you can check it out. He was talking about how often seeds are sown in tears. Think about the plight of a farmer. He or she plants with many factors out of his or her control. Creating A Place For Growth It takes a lot of effort to prepare the soil. If you think of this from a leadership perspective, it means you are building an environment where trust, transparency, authenticity, inclusion, accountability, respect, encouragement, and motivation are all infused. When it comes to cultivating and soil preparation, there are no shortcuts. You can think of attitudes and morale as being the sunshine. Maybe recognition, reward, and teamwork as rain or irrigation. And here you will find that certain elements are out of your control. When it comes to the things that will destroy a crop, whether weeds, insects, or disease, it\u2019s up to you the leader farmer to identify it early and deal with it quickly. Decisive Action Procrastination is not a friend. Resistance will show up every time you need to act. Farmers don\u2019t wait for perfect conditions to get started. But even when you\u2019ve done your best, even when the farmer did everything right, there is no guarantee that good fruit is going to be produced. As a leader, the same as a farmer, you can\u2019t lose heart. Whether you are looking at your own growth or the growth of your team, you have to keep sowing seeds. Imagine a farmer who stops sowing seed but still expects a bountiful crop. It doesn\u2019t work that way, does it?! You can plant and nothing may grow, but you can be SURE that there won\u2019t be any fruit if you don\u2019t plant. This truth does not ease the pain of the expectant farmer. Below The Surface But Gary said something that I want to remind you of today as leaders: \u2026We can\u2019t see is what may be germinating below the surface. To anyone out there who feels like you\u2019ve faithfully sown seeds in the lives of others or your efforts to grow your business have been in vain, I want to encourage you with this: Keep sowing\u2026 Gary Frey Because as leaders, you know that nothing grows when it\u2019s not planted. And that\u2019s leadership. Things didn\u2019t grow when you thought they should. Everything seemed perfect and nada. Nothing. Then you see that hard soil, that person who doesn\u2019t seem to hear a thing you say, but under the surface, the seed you planted is germinating. Nothing Grows When Seed Isn\u2019t Sown Don\u2019t get weary. I know there are times when it\u2019s hard to persist. Do what you know to do to adequately prepare the soil. Whether that\u2019s you, your team, the organization, or your community. Soil is in your control. Then sow the seed. Give every seed the best chance for success by keeping the detrimental destroyers at bay. Remove whatever has the potential to destroy the crops. And like a good farmer, be patient. Trust. It\u2019s not always going to work out. But your effort is not wasted. Even when you are sowing in tears. Don\u2019t stop. What doesn\u2019t get planted will never grow. Then rejoice when the harvest comes. Seriously, is there anything more rewarding than seeing your sowing produce fruit in someone else\u2019s life? It\u2019s worth the effort, the pain, and the tears when the fruit is on the vine. So keep sowing! You are going to reap a fine crop someday! Resources Mentioned In This Episode: Gary Frey\u2019s LinkedIn post Sometimes We Sow In Tears\u2026 Thanks for Listening! I want to hear from you! I appreciate your honest feedback so reach out and: Leave a note in the comment section below. Email a question to mark@markslemons.com. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Listen to the show using your favorite platform: Spotify | iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Android | RSS Now, go lead like someone you would want to follow! ","author_name":"The Leader To Leader Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/www.markslemons.com","html":"