If you read this column weekly, (thank you) you know I’m a big fan of learning from nature. You also know I feel like it’s because God brings you closer to nature as you approach death, but that’s pretty morbid and not what this column is about….I digress.
I found another ridiculously fascinating fact about trees (other than the Wood Wide Web) and I’m stoked to share it on this end of January Friday (phew, what a month).
Scientists at Biosphere 2 built what they thought was the perfect environment for trees. Controlled temperature. Optimal water. Ideal sunlight. And you know what happened? The trees grew faster than they ever would in nature. They also collapsed sooner.
Turns out, without wind resistance, trees never develop what’s called “stress wood” = dense, reactive tissue that forms in response to mechanical stress. The constant pushing and pulling from wind triggers the tree to reinforce itself from the inside out. No wind? No stress wood. The tree literally can’t support its own weight once it reaches a certain height.
Kind of makes you think about your career, doesn’t it?
How many of us are operating in our own version of Biosphere 2? Same store visits. Same meetings. Same responses to the same problems. We’re growing, sure – getting older, gaining tenure, collecting experience points. But are we getting stronger?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you’re not regularly feeling stressed or challenged in your LP role, you’re probably not building the kind of resilience you’ll need when things get real. And things always get real eventually.
I’m not talking about the daily firefighting stress we all deal with. I mean the productive discomfort that comes from pushing into territory where you’re not the expert yet. Learning AI tools when you’re already buried in shrink reduction initiatives. Taking on ORC cases that stretch beyond your normal scope. Speaking up in executive meetings when your voice shakes (sign up for this Executive Presence webinar for help). Admitting you don’t know something and asking for help. Managing conflict instead of avoiding it.
The action: Pick your stress (wood). Here’s a few options:
- Volunteer for a cross-functional project outside your usual wheelhouse
- Have an honest conversation with your boss about taking on harder assignments
- Learn that AI tool everyone’s talking about, even though it feels overwhelming on top of everything else (listen to this podcast for help)
- Stop avoiding that difficult team member and actually address the issue
- Apply for that conference speaking slot that terrifies you (talk to me about the APEX agenda if you have an idea!)
- Lead the initiative you’ve been quietly thinking someone else should handle
The trees in Biosphere 2 looked healthy right up until they fell over. Don’t be that tree. Seek the challenges in the wind and you’ll have all the stress wood you need for whatever comes your way.