Between the Garden and the Treehouse: A Leadership Perspective
School and district leaders often find themselves caught in the whirlwind of the day-to-day—navigating meetings, addressing urgent issues, supporting staff, and keeping everything moving forward. While this constant motion may feel productive, it can cloud long-term vision and strategic clarity.
That’s why effective leadership requires a rhythm—a movement between the garden and the treehouse.
In the garden, leadership is hands-on. This is where relationships are nurtured, progress is monitored, and weeds are pulled before they take over. Leaders in the garden are:
Tending to what’s growing.
Noticing what’s wilting.
Fertilizing what needs support.
Clearing distractions that threaten the culture or vision.
But staying only in the garden can create tunnel vision.
Stepping into the treehouse provides the clarity that can only come from a higher perspective. From there, patterns and gaps begin to emerge:
Which parts of the system are thriving?
Where are things overgrown or under-resourced?
Who is flourishing—and who may need more support?
Are efforts aligned with the bigger vision, or simply keeping people busy and compliant?
INspired Leadership helps guide this dual awareness. Through culture audits, executive coaching, and powerful frameworks like Energy Leadership and Working Genius, leaders learn to lead from both places—close enough to care deeply, elevated enough to lead wisely.
Strong leadership is not just about being in motion—it’s about being intentional.
It’s not just about showing up—it’s about seeing clearly.
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