Growing Your Root Structure 2 of 3

Leadership Lesson #7

Growing Your Root Structure

--Leaders are more interested in developing the root structure than the immediate visible results

There is a Chinese bamboo tree I have heard about, that when planted, you will see no growth for 90 days, then in a few short months grows 90 feet!
What it was doing prior to the explosive growth was putting down a root structure that would support its future growth.
In building the huge Sears tower in Chicago, they first went 100 feet down before they ever started building up.

Many times we invest effort in a business or relationship and we get impatient that there is no visible growth. The results we are working for just don't seem to be there. But often what's really happening is that we are changing in those hidden ways necessary to support our future results.
Growth is usually never a straight-line increase. In my experience, it's a series of intermittent increases or "growth spurts" and then plateaus.
Think of learning a sport. Most of your development occurs in leaps of getting better followed by lingering plateaus of staying at that same level (and those plateaus always seem to take too long). Near the end of your growth, it takes an incredible amount of effort and time to get those last, final, small increases in performance. It's those last small increases that separate the champions from the also-rans.
Take five minutes right now and list the ways you are
investing in creating a foundation or root structure for your
life and work.
Are you spending time developing your second layer of leadership? This is your greatest leverage. There is always a decrease in your personal production as you spend time developing other people. There needs to be a balance of both being done all the time.
Are you spending time in spiritual or inspirational studies that will give you a stronger, deeper foundation?
This week, outline a plan that will increase your root structure this year in a significant way.
TAKEAWAY!

Building a Root Structure is often invisible, but is even more important than visible growth.
Invest money and time in root structures to support your desired future growth and gains.

And be patient!