What Can Plants Teach Us About Business Growth?
I’m a Plantita.
Plantita is a new word used in the Philippines to describe a person who loves plants. It became a popular word during the pandemic as many people turned toward caring for plants as a hobby.
What is in that word?
Plant -> English word
Tita -> Filipino word for Aunt or Auntie (Plantito is the masculine)
I’m a Plantita.
Here in the States, we usually say that someone has or doesn’t have a green thumb.
Someone without a green thumb can’t seem to keep one plant alive.
A person with a green thumb starts out with a couple of plants and then they just keep multiplying. (Ask me about the Jade I deconstructed and rehabilitated. I have no less than 50 babies from that.)
Today, I want to talk about this plant -> Philodendron Hastatum, Silver Sword
(Don’t worry this will eventually lead back to business, I promise.)
As you can see in the photo it is unveiling a new leaf. That leaf is literally splitting the stem of the other leaf and popping out of it. This looks painful. Not as painful as popping a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon, but we already know women are amazing and I digress.
What does this beautiful new Silver Sword leaf have to tell us about growth?
👉🏼 Growth hurts. Yay Yay. 🎶 (Sung to the tune of Love Stinks by JGeils Band).
👉🏼 Growth requires patience. 🧘🏽 “Have patience with all things, but, first of all with yourself.” Saint Francis de Sales
👉🏼 Growth means getting out of your comfort zone. 😨 “Growth and comfort do not coexist.” — IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.
Growth doesn’t happen without dedicated focus and care 🎯
Plants need the right light / water ratio and plenty of space for growth to occur. It takes time to get the equation right, but if you dedicate yourself to finding the best solution then your plant will grow.
Similarly, businesses need the right goals / support ratio and the space to become.
In America, we put a lot of emphasis on goals and achievement and often skip over or undervalue the space required for growth to occur.
We want to set a goal and then race to the finish line.
Good goals and plans should push you right up to your growing edge.
All business owners have a growing edge that marketing and sales tend to push right up against. It’s the same for executives seeking to rally support from boards as it is for entrepreneurs trying to rally support for their budding businesses.
This is because marketing and sales are where the rubber hits the road. You spend months in planning and thousands on your personal development, but at a certain point, you have to actually get the word out about what you are trying to do and then convert people to your position either through a vote or dollars.
At this point, everything in your critter brain wants you to play small and not rock the boat so that you don’t have to experience rejection.
Creating the space to grow into those goals is key to building the emotional connection and commitment required to persevere.
What makes the difference between stagnation and growth is the space to become.
Brand development, leadership development, professional development. These are the ways that thoughtful business leaders create the space to become for themselves and their staff. It’s not just about showing employees that you care about them, it’s about dedicating time and energy for your vision for growth to come into being.