Prepare the Soil
There is an ancient story that I believe gives us tremendous insight into business leadership.
It’s about a farmer scattering his seed.
(Tis an old, old story, so we have to think way back to a time before the industrial revolution. There are no tractors involved.)
As the story goes, the farmer scatters his seed generously, from bag to hand to ground, and it falls upon four distinct soil types.
The path that is hard.
The rocky places.
The one with thorns and weeds everywhere.
The good soil.
As we’ll see shortly, the condition of the soil is important.
In other words, per my good friend and mentor, “Dirt Matters.”
Eventually, we are looped into the moral of the story – the four soil types represent four conditions of our heart and mind.
They represent our receptivity to wisdom.
Let’s take a little deeper dive into the story’s application to business leadership development.
The Problem(s)
Hard Soil – The heart and mind are sealed. Worn down. Stuck in old ruts and absolutely unreceptive to input, insight, or new ways of thinking. Wisdom never takes root.
Rocky Soil – There is no purposeful effort toward maturity. They are a flash-in-the pan, if you will. They come on strong and hit all the right notes, but they refuse to learn more, to adapt to ever-changing landscapes, to learn how to lead people well…to mature. Without roots that run deep, they cannot survive as a leader.
Thorny Soil – Akin to the Rocky Soil, these leaders show promise. But they get distracted by all the shiny things. They are unable to focus, are pulled in too many directions, and are motivated by the wrong things. Eventually, the pace and demands of it all choke them out. Death as a leader is inevitable.
Good Soil – Um… No problem here (proverbially speaking)! This is the healthy place to be. This is where fruit is realized. 100x, as the story goes.
The Solution(s)
Hard Soil – The ‘path’ must be tilled. Broken up. Aerated. Churned. Unfortunately, this is a violent process. (If you’ve ever broken up hardened soil, you know exactly what I’m talking about.) There are times when it’s not worth the effort, quite frankly. But if you want to see Hard Soil turned into Good Soil, everybody involved had better put on their big boy/girl pants!
Rocky Soil – Also a very tedious process. Picture the pioneer farmer clearing a few acres of rocky ground. It’s a process that takes years because buried rocks keep coming to the surface! The bigger the rocks, the bigger the tools and more time needed to remove them. But remember, in this story rocks are the internal impediments to maturity – bad habits, faulty mindsets, broken development processes, and soured thinktanks (inputs from the people with whom they congregate). It’s a process. But if you want Good Soil…
Thorny Soil – Ditto! But now we’re not talking about the internal obstacles. The ‘weeds’ here involve external distractions and pressures – be they personal or professional. Weeding is a little easier than rock removal, but it’s still tedious work convincing someone they’re distracted, too busy, or lack focus and alignment on the things that truly matter. Thems fightin’ words to many!
Good Soil – Again, no ‘solutions’ needed here. But Good Soil does need consistent attention and nurturing. It needs constant tilling. Rocks and Weeds will crop up from time to time. Removal of these obstacles to success is a life-long activity. Intentionality is imperative to the process of maintaining Good Soil.
The Suggestion(s)
As an executive leader, always start with yourself.
Where has your heart and mind grown Hard?
Are rhere Rocks (internal) keeping you from maturing as a leader?
Are there Thorns (external) distracting you from your priorities?
Or are you diligent in the intentional nurturing of your own development as a leader (see today’s bonus resource for more insight on this point!)?
Then, turn the scope toward your leadership team and ask the same questions.
As leaders, you and I must take conscious ownership of the condition of our mental, emotional, and spiritual soil (which is the original application of this story, BTW!).
Because the condition of your soil will ultimately determine your ability to lead.
Yes, it takes a lot of work, time, money, and other precious resources…
But the reward (100x!) is WAY more than worth the investment.
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
“Dirt Matters”
- Jim Powell
Though the original audience was leadership within the Church, the message is paramount for anyone that appreciates the importance of building a desired culture within an organization. The purpose driven principles in this short read are well worth your time and energy.
From Amazon: Every church has a unique culture that serves as the soil where its ministry occurs. A church's culture is the somewhat nebulous and complex blend of norms, beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and practices that define the congregation. The culture establishes the environment that often predetermines the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of God's Word within that body of believers. It influences a congregation's potential impact more than techniques, programs, or pragmatic changes. Dirt Matters explains and illustrates the importance of church culture, connecting it to a simple analogy that anyone can understand. It also shares how it's possible to cultivate and nurture a healthier church environment that can put you and your congregation in a better position to bear fruit for God's glory.
Bonus Resource!
“How Leaders Grow”
A collection of articles from seven of the foremost Christian marketplace leaders.l
MMS 25-05
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Blessings to you, my friend!
