Let the Winds Blow
In his fascinating (if not terrifying) book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt tells the story of the Biosphere 2 project, an 80s-era experiment which took place in the deserts of Arizona.
The goal was to build a livable structure for eight people that was both self-enclosed and self-sustaining. All food, water, air, energy, everything, would come from within the dome.
There were multiple problems, but one in particular stood out to me. I’ll let the author take it from here (I’ve bolded some statements for emphasis):
…many of the trees they planted to create a rain-forest ecosystem grew rapidly but then fell over before reaching maturity. The designers had not realized that young trees need wind to grow properly. When the wind blows, it bends the tree, which tugs at the roots on the windward side and compresses the wood on the other side. In response, the root system expands to provide a firmer anchor where it is needed, and the compressed wood cells change their structure to become stronger and firmer.
This altered cell structure is called reaction wood, or sometimes stress wood. Trees that are exposed to strong winds early in life become trees that can withstand even stronger winds when full grown. Conversely, trees that are raised in a protected greenhouse sometimes fall over from their own weight before they reach maturity.
The leadership implications are more than obvious. As leaders, we often have a visceral instinct to protect those under our charge. We want to shield them from failure, keep them from making mistakes, and block them from the wind.
But let’s take a lesson from the trees: a little wind does us all good. No, we don’t toss a sapling into a hurricane, but an occasional 30 mph gust is good for the soul. Put those under your leadership in situations where the breeze picks up and the branches sway. Let them face the bending of trunks and the deepening of roots.
And once the winds have subsided, debrief the experience. Talk about what they feared, what came to pass (and what didn’t), what they learned. How they grew.
One way or another, the winds are going to come. Let’s make sure that those we lead can stand up under that weight.
