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In last week's issue we concluded by challenging leaders to consider designing environments that empower people to see the evidence of their inherent worth and potential.

Let’s pick up where we left off.

Imagine a young oak tree planted in a cramped, concrete planter on a city sidewalk. It receives minimal sunlight, poor soil, and constant jostling from passersby. 

Despite its potential for grandeur, it struggles to grow, its branches stunted, its leaves sparse. Its environment has stifled its natural growth.

Now, picture the same oak tree planted in a vast, sun-drenched meadow. 

It receives abundant sunlight, rich soil, and space to spread its roots. It grows tall and strong, its branches reaching for the sky, its leaves lush and green. 

Its environment has nurtured its potential, allowing it to flourish.

Just like this oak tree, we will flourish in environments that support and nurture our growth.

In this issue, we’ll wrap up our discussion on Flourishing Leadership by helping you better appreciate the massive impact your environment is having on you, your health, and your leadership. 

Environmental Influences

Our environment consists of all the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical forces which affect and influence us as individuals.  

For a few years I had the pleasure of working with a world renowned Ayurvedic practitioner and during that time he impressed upon me the importance of environments for our health and through this process he also introduced me to the field of epigenetics.

Epigenetics is a fascinating field that explores how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. It provides a mechanism through which experiences can shape our biology, offering a scientific understanding of how the environment influences us.

Dr. Sharma made a point to constantly remind me that we are not solely determined by our genes. That our experiences can modify gene expression, leading to changes in our physical and mental health.

Not only that, our environments, which include our relationships, experiences, stressors, and lifestyle choices, can significantly impact our development, behavior, and ultimately our health.

His message was clear, we are not passive recipients of our circumstances. 

We have the capacity for transformation through making intentional choices around the things that serve to significantly influence our development and character.

Environments Shape People

Be most careful (intentional) around all forces that inspire thought!

Our thought habits are stimulated by environmental influences. We’re constantly being bombarded with noisy signals offering unsolicited suggestions on how we should feel, what we should think, and what we should believe.

We can either choose to respond intentionally to these cues or allow ourselves to be conditioned by these externalities.

This is easier said than done, because as we discussed last week the most important part of our environment is that created by our association with others.

We absorb the thought habits of those around us. Those negative mindsets are highly contagious!

What type of thoughts is your environment inspiring?

Is it communicating that you can? That you’re valued, loved, and that you belong.

Or is it communicating that you can’t, won’t, and never will? That you’re inadequate or unworthy.

How we see ourselves (others) is how we treat ourselves (others). How we treat ourselves (others) influences who we (they) become. 

Listen to the language of your environments, both internal and external.  It’s a key indicator of the existing paradigms.

Leaders take note. Complaining, blaming, defensiveness, are all languages of the unseen, the unheard, and the undervalued. 

When it comes to the environment, as an individual, at any moment in time, under any circumstances, we must decide within ourselves how all of it is going to affect us. As a leader, we must constantly work to architect systems that cultivate environments that ensure our people feel valued, loved, and a sense of belonging.

Flourishing leadership requires us to continuously grow our resiliency as individuals, while simultaneously cultivating environments that nurture and support growth of others. 

Take some time to actually reflect on how you see yourself (and others). 

• Who do you want to become? 

• Who do they want to become?

• Does the vision you have for yourself and others align with the environment you’re cultivating?

The principle is simple, a well individual in an unwell environment eventually becomes an unwell individual.

Nurture Your Nature

If you’re practicing self-leadership, living in the intersection, guarding your associations carefully, and still find yourself unable to break through to the better version of yourself than chances are it is not a you problem, it’s an environment problem.

Leveling up your coping strategies and becoming more resilient will only keep you a float if your environment is not conducive to your sustained growth and development.

You’re you for a reason.You possess a unique blend of innate traits that nobody else on this planet possesses. 

Poor environments will lead you to believe those very things that make you unique are flaws that need fixed. 

Flourishing environments will lead you to believe those very things that make you unique are features to be developed and accentuated.

Flourishing leadership is not about fixing ourselves or others. It is about first discovering ourselves, then developing ourselves, and lastly positioning ourselves to have maximum positive influence on those around us.

In doing this, you will help create environments that support and nurture growth.

And, just like the oak tree, you will flourish in both life and leadership.

Stay The Course,