The Leading Edge: Misguided in the Magnolia
By: Edwin Adams
My childhood home was a natural playground. The trees and shrubbery around our house created the ideal backdrop for adventure and discovery. Yet, there was one tree that always captivated me…the great Magnolia tree in our front yard. It was one of the tallest trees on the property and was enveloped by a thick covering of the broadest leaves, deep green in color. And, once you pierced the outer layer of leaves, what remained was an intricate network of branches. The tree certainly appeared climbable: some branches within reach, others just out of reach. I could see the top, though, and that’s where I wanted to be.
Over several seasons, I eventually garnered enough strength and courage to reach the top of that tree. And it soon became a place I sought for solitude and escape. I had worked hard to get there. No one else had done what I was able to achieve – just me. Like a silent movie, I could see the entirety of the yard through flashes of reality in between the leaves. There was so much happening out there. What a great vantage point! Yet, I was too far up to participate in anything down below. What’s more, no one knew I was present.
How was I misguided in the Magnolia? From the top of that tree, I could see snapshots in time of what was happening around me. Though I saw much, it was limited in scope and duration through the outer protective layer under which I sat. My perception became clouded by the exact thing I sought for safety and comfort. So much may have been happening around me, yet the opacity of the leaves occluded my perspective. I had created a barrier against the outside world. That view from the top isn’t the same as the view from lower branches, or even the ground. Influence is realized not through vision, but through connection. Connection demands proximity, not high-altitude observation.
Moving within the intricate network of branches became easy over time. Strength and courage supported me when branches were just out of reach. But when those energies failed, I just sat where I was…wanting more…not seeing how far I had come…not knowing how to make the next move. I was stuck, and it was lonely there. I needed help to get where I wanted to go. I needed the influence of others to fuel my ascent. I’ve realized that I shouldn’t seek an opportunity with just one spot at the top. I need to find “tree-fuls” of people who want to be in the same “tree” as me. Together, we all climb higher.
As good as the view was from the top of that Magnolia, it would have been even better to share the view with others. My influence in the world was relegated to the highest altitude of the top branch. But there was plenty of room in that network of branches for all to share in the vision. Memories and dreams exponentially grow and transform as they are shared among people. So too do the opportunities and influence that are our potentials for growth and transformation as a tribe of people. I’ve come to appreciate that we were created to live in communion with others. At the top of that tree, the pulse of life rang only in my ear. And my heart longed for connection with another rhythm.
We are better together, working as a team, than we are as individuals perched at the top of our respective pillars of anonymity. As my friend John Maxwell states, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” As I see teamwork, I simply recommend you find a tree-ful, so that your heart may be full.
Dr. Edwin Adams is an Executive Director of The John Maxwell Team. He brings to the John Maxwell Family over two decades of experience in pharmacy and healthcare leadership. Edwin has a passion for teaching, analytics, and problem solving. Some of his recent work includes developing leaders at schools of pharmacy around the country and working with state pharmacy associations to enhance development training opportunities for their membership. You can learn more about him at http://disruptcomfort.com/.