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Abigail Klare

Dr. Gruber

Character-Based Leadership

14 December 2018

Metaphor for Leadership: A Leader is a Gardener

Quote: “Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example.”

Familiar to many is the unmistakable beauty of a garden. Be it a garden of one’s own or

simply a garden observed in passing, the sight is a common one. Carefully manicured, a garden

is comprised of trees, flowers, and pathways full of beauty. However, the role of a gardener is

something a bit less familiar to most. In many ways, the role of a gardener is like that of an

effective leader—observed not for the work that he/she does, but the result that comes of that

hard work and the impression it leaves upon others. Like a strong leader, gardeners maintain

clear vision, a high propensity to trust, and a willingness to listen. By their hands and through

their perspective, they foster a legacy of beauty that leaves an environment better than it was

found.

To create a beautiful garden scene out of individual flowers, stones, and trees, requires an

ability to think in a way that is “big picture.” To see how seeds can someday grow into beautiful

plants compels long term thinking. Similarly, to establish and guide a successful team, a leader

must be able to recognize how many different small parts might come together as one bigger

picture that yields wholistic success. This notion of “big picture” thinking was a tenant of

leadership highlighted by nearly every guest speaker or academic resource we encountered

throughout our Character-Based Leadership class this semester. During Christina Beer’s

leadership journey presentation, we were introduced to the idea that oftentimes, leading with
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vision doesn’t necessarily mean leading from the front of the room—in fact, some of the most

visionary leaders are those that are comfortable leading from behind because they embrace the

big picture above self-interest. In reflecting on her many different bouts with leadership,

Christina highlighted an experience that brought this idea of “leading from behind with vision”

to life. During her time as student body president, Christina had the opportunity to lead from the

front of the room as she represented the voice of students to administration on a day-to-day basis.

However, despite many public initiatives she championed, her greatest sense of accomplishment

came from the work she did in conjunction with UC Athletics, a role of which few were aware.

In helping to create “the rUCkus,” Christina’s work to foster a more engaged community of

student fans yielded impact far beyond earning an award or public recognition. To her, a filled,

energized student section was the “long term vision” and the best indicator of success as a leader.

As a token of gratitude for her work, though, Christina was given a conference championship

ring to wear as a necklace. A symbol of thanks and source of great pride to Christina, the

championship ring necklace is like the pride felt by a gardener whose consistent, behind-the-

scenes upkeep yields a beautiful garden as a culmination of that hard work. In fact, in the way

that Christina expressed the joy she felt in watching the student-fan experience transform, so too

does a gardener find fulfillment in witnessing the joy a garden brings to others.

As leaders, we will often inherit teams and situations that at first glance appear to be

scattered and disjointed. From these many pieces, we are tasked with creating, fostering, and

inspiring a belief in the “long term” vision that will ultimately govern the work of the team. To

unite these small pieces and allow others to see the big picture, like Christina, leaders will be

challenged to lead from behind the scenes, focusing their energy on building others up while

ensuring that the unifying vision is maintained throughout the collaborative process.
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A gardener can nurture, prune, and manage her garden as much as her heart desires;

however, the ultimate beauty comes from allowing those flowers to do what they know how to

do best: grow. Much like a gardener allows her flowers to grow, so must a leader be able to trust

the members of his/her team to use their skillsets to the best of their ability if the group aspires to

maximize its potential. The most effective leaders recognize that they alone do not have all the

answers; in fact, they realize that the answers are already in the room. Design thinking leader

Holly O’Driscoll shared the following insight: “The job of the leader is to create the conditions

of success that unleash the power of people.” At the core of this philosophy is the idea that

leadership is something to be humanized; that empathy and gratitude inspire others to not only

do their best work, but to be the best version of themselves.

This environment of positivity and empathy cannot be achieved without the concerted

effort of the leader to create the conditions of success, much like how the gardener must pull

weeds, provide water, and ensure access to sunlight in order to allow the flowers the opportunity

to grow on their own. In her leadership journey presentation, O’Driscoll introduced our class to

the three conditions that impactful leaders strive to create for their teams. First, is the condition

of curiosity. Compelling leaders suspend judgment, challenge assumptions, encourage time for

difficult conversations, and ultimately define the team’s workplace environment as one of

psychological safety. Psychological safety is especially important in instances during which a

group of people that typically doesn’t work together must collaborate to solve a problem. The

second condition that further instills a leader’s trust in his/her team’s abilities is that of courage.

In creating an environment in which there is value in exploring the “moonshot” ideas, leaders

unleash the creativity of team members and therefore open the opportunity to achieve results that

would otherwise have never been imaginable. In addition, there is great vulnerability that comes
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with courage. The best leaders see instances of failure not as setback, but as opportunity to grow

and persevere. The final condition that emerging leaders strive to foster is that of candor. Words

matter, and so does one’s own word. Teams that are cognizant of how they communicate with

one another as well as accountable to their commitments and responsibilities are fundamentally

more prone to success than those that don’t embrace a culture of candor.

Lastly, a gardener must exude commitment and consistency to the upkeep of her garden

in small yet intentional ways to ensure that the plants remain steadfast in their journey towards

beauty. Be it sowing the soil or supplying fertilizer, the consistent small touch points are what

allow the flowers to stay nurtured, healthy, and ultimately valued. In the context of leadership,

this characteristic manifests in a leader taking the time to listen and connect with members of the

team on a regular basis. Flowers remain healthy when they are cared for around the clock; so too

must strong leaders let their teams know they are invested and that they value the work being

done. Tim Metzner characterized a leader as one that is defined by a willingness to listen to those

around you. Though seemingly simple, it serves as a great reminder that we as humans have two

ears and one mouth for a reason. Metzner expressed that “leadership begins when you stop

talking and start listening.” In his own leadership experience, Metzner embraces this philosophy

of leadership by making time to meet with each of his employees on a quarterly basis. At the end

of each conversation, he asks the question: “what can I be doing better as a boss and manager?”

To many individuals, this question comes as a surprise as it is somewhat uncommon for

managers to solicit such candid feedback about their leadership. In fact, Metzner shared that it

typically takes a few quarterly meetings for employees to build up trust in the manager-employee

relationship and begin sharing their honest thoughts and opinions. However, by making the

opportunities for communication consistent and frequent, a culture of humility underpins the
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work of the company and contributes significantly to its success. Within our academic work,

student organizations, and while on co-op rotations, every individual can act as a leader by

listening to the feedback of others and channeling it to compel personal development. Similarly,

incorporating time for self-reflection into all facets of life will ensure that we are always working

to become the best versions of ourselves. Therefore, when presented with opportunities to lead,

we are ready to jump in with listening ears and clear perspective.

All these things – vision, trust, and a willingness to listen—help to drive a style of

leadership that is not one for the accolades of the present, but rather for a legacy to define the

future. Guided by that mindset, we as young leaders should be inspired to dig in, buy into our

people, and work for our cause– whatever it may be—knowing that as leaders, we may be best

remembered not just for what we did, but for how we made others feel while doing it. Within

LHP, we are afforded so many opportunities, particularly through the lens of PLUS. From study

abroad to co-op rotations, we will have our chance to live out the PLUS. However, if we are to

not just live in this PLUS, but rather to lead by it, we must dedicate ourselves to fostering an

environment everywhere we go that builds others up and moves them closer to their own “plus.”

By establishing conditions of curiosity, courage, and candor as well as remaining steadfast in our

willingness to listen to the feedback of others, we have the opportunity to ignite the passion and

foster the talents of others, so that like flowers, they might blossom into something beautiful. A

gardener’s legacy is a scene defined by patience, hard-work, creativity, and ultimately a vision.

We’ve been given the tools and like a gardener, we must be deliberate and intentional in how we

set the stage for our garden to grow, knowing that the hard work yields an abundance of beauty.