Summary: Success comes from accepting five truths: Embracing the journey, being a learner, having a plan, working the plan, reflecting and adjusting the plan.

My wife and I recently purchased a new home. One of the things I love about it is that one of the previous owners, back in the past, beautifully planned out the yard with flowering trees and gardens.

Unfortunately, the owners previous to us didn’t maintain this. I’m sure they had their reasons. But, whatever those reasons were, my property now looks like the aftermath of a horticultural war zone.

The yard was unsuccessful in withstanding a relentless attack of dandelions. My gardens have been completely overrun. Fences are in disrepair. Additionally, a recent earthquake required some fixes to the foundation – the associated dirt work around the foundations wasn’t landscaped back into the yard.

I’m on a mission to reclaim the yard and gardens. It’s been a battle. But I can see the remnants of a past vision for the property. I look forward to restoring it.

Your Workplace and My Garden

Businesses are often like neglected yards and gardens. The original vision is there. The founding concept may still be strong. But due to being busy, neglect of maintenance, lack of knowledge or other priorities, they get overrun.

Issues and problems begin to take over. Leaders find themselves spending all of their time “putting out fires” as opposed to getting ahead.

There are still remnants of what was originally built. But those remnants are competing for attention and space. They are nowhere near as healthy or as robust as they could be. I’ve worked with many leaders and teams who felt overrun.

Many believe that being overrun is the only reality available to them. In fact, many leaders will insist on this point (but they won’t use these words): “I’m too busy to build an efficient and harmoniously operating organization.”

The irony is that they usually are working hard to achieve some form of growth and expanded success. Some form of more.

My question usually is, “If you are struggling to maintain what you have, what makes you think you can do a better job of maintaining even more?

Instead, learn to put your energy into maintaining and maximizing what you have. It’ll then take less effort to grow and be easier to maintain that as well.

The Five Truths of Growth

Truth #1: Embrace the journey. A beautiful yard and garden takes time. More than the initial planning and building – it takes time in terms of maintenance.

Some people dislike or even resent the maintenance. And that is fine.

No one is required to have a yard or garden. No one is required to lead. No one is required to have success. But if you want it, you have to do the work and take regular care of what you have built.

Truth #2: Be a learner. Whether gardening or leading – what we do, and the fruit it bears is often separated by time. The specific variables that ensure success (or failure) aren’t always easy to separate or discern.

What works in one situation doesn’t work in another. What my lawn needs is different than what a tree or a flower bed needs.

Many business leaders do fantastic within a certain size organization. But they don’t know what to do with growth – or restriction. Many businesses employ entry-level, senior “old-hands”, and brand new professionals. They all require different approaches.

To get good at either, you have to take the time to learn. This includes reading or asking questions.

But mostly you have to just get out and do it. To become good at it you have to be willing to try, to experiment, to pay attention to cause and effect and ask for help.

I always feel bad for leaders with enormous potential who let their egos get in the way from getting help. Everyone needs help.

Truth #3: Having a plan. Someone planned my yard out decades ago. There are beautiful trees planted in strategic locations. They can easily be viewed from within the house and they enhance privacy with the neighbors.

A mature tree is not a spur of the moment decision.

Plans rarely go according to plan. But the exercise of defining your vision, determining what is required, and taking intentional steps to build it often goes “close enough” to plan.
There is a place for wandering. Wandering results in discovery. But it doesn’t result in building anything of significance.

Truth #4: Work the plan. Generally, leaders know what to do when it comes to growth, problem-solving, or change. Their biggest challenge, by far, is execution.

No one consciously believes that a plan implements itself. But many more plans are made than are ever followed through on. Good intentions yield nothing if not acted on.

You have to relentlessly execute. Observing my clients, the ones who separate from the crowd and become industry leaders, are the ones who simply execute. They get the work done.

There is rarely a magic formula to success. It tends to be built, brick by brick, by people who are just willing to work.

Truth #5: Reflecting and adjusting the plan. This is really tied to Truth #2. Leaders who sustain and expand success develop the habit of reflecting on what was intended, what was attempted, what actually happened, and what has been learned. Then they make adjustments and try again.

I started my first garden indoors last December. It was intended to be a salad garden. I learned a lot about light and spacing.

My second garden had the same intent. It has been a dramatic improvement. But, as my wife kindly observed, the entire garden might make one salad. I’ve learned even more about light, about starting plants out well and about garden planning.

I’m planning out my third. I’ll keep working on this until I get a fruitful garden.

It’s been a similar journey in my business. I’m sure it has been a similar journey in yours. You try something, you learn, and you try again.

Some people can’t and won’t do that. They may not want to take action unless perfect results are guaranteed. Others struggle to acknowledge that they weren’t born with all the knowledge and skills they need in life.

But, the leaders who do, will build fruitful and enjoyable businesses.

Take good care,

Christian

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