Is Your Leadership Tree Dying?

You must take care of the root to heal the tree.
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation

Let’s talk about trees.

They’re strong. Tall. Reaching. Majestic. Often symbolic of stability, growth, and legacy. Leaders and leadership teams often want to be like trees—visible, fruitful, and unwavering through the seasons.

But here’s the truth: No tree grows without roots.

And no team thrives without tending to the invisible forces that feed and stabilize it.

That’s where Queen Quet’s wisdom hits home: “You must take care of the root to heal the tree.”

It’s elegant. It’s ancient. And for today’s leaders? It’s urgent.

The  Tree is the Leadership Team
You may be the CEO, the department head, or part of the senior leadership team steering the ship. In this metaphor, you and your peers are the tree. Visible to the organization. Responsible for bearing fruit, providing shelter, and enduring storms.

But if that leadership team is splintered, unclear, or transactional—even if it "looks fine" from the outside—the rot begins below. People feel it before they can name it. Performance suffers. Culture turns brittle. Turnover creeps in. Disengagement festers.

Healing and growth won’t come from pruning branches or repainting bark. It starts at the root.

So, what lives in the roots of a strong, healthy leadership team?

The Anatomy of the Root System
1. Shared Purpose
This is the taproot. Without clarity of why you exist as a team and organization there’s no direction, no cohesion, and certainly no inspiration. And that's not hitting metrics, protecting turf, or profits.  Like Simon Sinek says, "Profit isn’t a purpose, it’s a result. Purpose is the reason we do the thing that makes the profit."  Purpose fuels every other root.

2. Service-Oriented Leadership
The best leaders don’t hoard the sunlight—they become part of the ecosystem. They serve the mission, their people, and each other. When ego eclipses service, rot sets in fast.

3. Gratitude & Recognition
Gratitude isn’t fluff; it’s fertilizer. Teams that consistently recognize one another create psychological nutrients: safety, respect, and resilience. Practicing gratitude is directly tied to happiness and wellbeing.  And yes, this starts at the top.

4. Trust & Psychological Safety
Let’s not kid ourselves. If people around the table aren’t speaking up, pushing back, or showing vulnerability, you’re leading in shallow soil. Safety is silent strength. Trust is the root that lets others grow.

5. Real Relationships
You don’t have to be best friends, but if your relationships are purely transactional, the roots won’t hold. Invest time in knowing each other as humans, not just titles. Roots entangle. That’s what makes them strong. Strong relationships at work boost engagement and all that comes with that.

6. Self-Awareness & Reflection
Leaders who never look in the mirror are the first to point fingers. Healthy teams include people committed to growth—not just professionally, but personally. When leaders reflect, teams renew. True self-awareness doesn't blossom without feedback.  Research demonstrates that those leaders who seek the most feedback are also the most effective leaders.

7. Integrity & Accountability
Alignment between word and deed is a non-negotiable.  When leaders say one thing and do another, they poison the root system.  Like Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner wrote and say, "Before you can walk the talk, you have to clearly know what the talk is."  Get clear on who you are as a a leader, your core values, and the principles you believe in.  Accountability isn’t punitive—it’s a form of nourishment. It's how we learn and grow.

8. A Learning Culture
The best trees are still growing—and it's the same with leadership teams. When curiosity dies, so does innovation. Learning must be baked into your culture, not on the eternal "next fiscal year" cycle. The best leadership teams always have an eye and ear for developing others.

9. Values in Action
You’ve got values? Great. Are they laminated on a wall or lived in the hall? When values show up in behavior, not just branding, the root system deepens and spreads. And let me open your eyes, strong research demonstrated years ago that it's personal core values, not organizational values, that drive things like organizational commitment, performance, satisfaction, and retention. If you want to learn how to help team members identify their personal core values, give me a shout. I've got a fantastic system in my Purpose-Driven Leadership Program.

10. Inclusivity & Diverse Perspectives
Monoculture is fragile. Root systems that are diverse, inclusive, and open to new perspectives are exponentially more adaptive and resilient.

Roots Are Messy.  So Is Leadership
Here’s the hard truth: You don’t get to grow towering, flourishing leadership teams without digging in the dirt. And roots don’t fix themselves.

If your team is burned out, cynical, or more focused on status than service, it’s time to stop patching the leaves and look below the surface. Maybe it's time for real, brave conversations. Maybe it’s time for alignment work, deeper development, or honest reflection about what you're actually cultivating together.

Because you are cultivating something. Whether it’s trust or fear, collaboration or competition, purpose or politics—the soil doesn’t lie. And sooner or later, the fruit (or the lack of it) will reveal the truth.

The good news? Root systems are incredibly resilient when cared for. And when they’re healthy, the whole forest thrives.

So, pause. Dig deep. Ask yourself and your team: What kind of roots are we growing?

Until next time, take care of the root... and watch the whole tree come alive.

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Have an amazing journey today!

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Alan Mikolaj is a seasoned coach and leadership development consultant with nearly 20 years of experience.  He is passionate about helping leaders transform their leadership, their teams, and their organizations.  He has an impactful, professional approach driven by a passion for meaning and purpose, a growth mindset, and a commitment to excellence and service in order to drive change and results.
Alan holds his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and maintains their ethics and standards of behavior, including the standards regarding confidentiality.  You can learn more about them on the ICF website.
Transformational change starts with a conversation!
Schedule your free, one-hour session by clicking here: Discovery Conversation with Alan
Or call or email: Contact Page

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