Leadership is a lot like gardening

Leadership is a lot like gardening. Provide a little water, some sunshine, some protection from toxic elements,
a lot of nurturing and most important of all, never step on the flowers.
Joe Fox

Reflection: That concept actually came to me back in the mid 90s when I was the commanding officer of the 71 Precinct in Crown Heights. Being a C.O. can actually be quite parental. It is very inspiring to watch a couple of hundred young men and women work to make their corner of the world a better place. I went into my assignment expecting that I would have to "run things" and make sure everything got done. Well I quickly realized that to a great extent, in spite of who the commanding officer is, cops want to do what's right. I quickly came to realize that I would be more effective being more of a coach than a boss. I have learned that we can be more impactful sometimes stepping back a bit, promoting - or rather allowing the growth of others. Of course we need to step up, and step in when necessary but we serve our teams - and ourselves well when our intuition helps us know the difference.

Have a wonderful day everyone. And enjoy the gardens. (I went back to some of my visits to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's for these photos. This posting this morning reminds me I have to get back there soon.