WILL TO GROW

The will to grow comes naturally to some and is developed by some. Each morning, the eyes open and the mind prepares for the day’s challenges. A growth mindset prepares sizing up the various challenges and opportunities. It hits the ground with firm steps and the die is cast to scale up to the ensuing challenges. The mindset which does not look at growth also has to walk the same ground, but it fidgets at the touch points to be met during the time ahead. Eventually both the mindsets close their eyes after a fruitful or also walked day! The numbers toggle their presence even as the growth pattern is waiting to be discerned. Numbers are like those seeds which are seeking newer opportunity to display the scale and the path towards growth.

Two hybrid fruits caught my attention recently- the Lemon and the Tangerine! I consume them both frequently and especially the Tangerine during its season. Both are a great source of required chemicals to keep the human body moving. When we cut the lemon into two halves, the sharp knife neatly divides the fiber and the seeds. The fiber stays within the fruit but even at the slightest pressure, the seeds are ready to pop out of their position as if to find the right spot to grow again into a full plant! Similarly, in the Tangerine too the hand juicer keeps the seeds and the peels out of the extracted juice, and they are ready to find new spots for their further use.

Is there a choice to grow in life? The popping out of the seeds in the lemon and the neatly piled peels and the seeds of the Tangerine claim to be making the choice to grow! The seeds are within all the facets of life of the animal and the plant kingdoms. These seeds need to find their spot and then the growth happens. In the hot and the cold deserts, we find similar plants growing. Which was the first desert where they grew or is it that they sprouted together in these deserts separated by thousands of miles and opposite climatic conditions? There must have been a phenomenon which supported the growth, and the plant kingdom did not let go of the opportunity. The growth vector continues to scale if the conditions are ripe naturally or are made conducive as the situation maybe.

The will is the most important trait of any leader. The leader must generate the confidence in the team to plan the way ahead. A good, sound story needs to be crafted to move towards the new horizons. The story must be compulsive and truthful wherein the anticipated milestones must be discovered by the team. Each milestone brings not only the respite but also propels towards the discovery of the next pillar. The important facet of this journey is the focused approach and a clear strategic plan. Victory comes to many, but consistent victories come to a few as strategy, planning, coordination, and effort makes the difference. The means to achieve victory are many but it is only the fair means which ensure lifelong victories and establishment of victory patterns. Not all plans succeed but consistency of the effort matters.

The seeds of the Plant Kingdom give us the guidance to grow. The seeds come packed with a small content but display the ability to grow into a full-blown plant with even bare minimum permissible conditions. The challenges are galore to achieve this growth, but the seed does not relent easily. It keeps waiting for the opportunity and opens to gain rapidly at the first opportunity. The climate can play havoc with the living beings and yet the seeds find new growth patterns. Those who do not adjust, fail to grow, and lead into extinction.

Over the course of civilizational history, there are stories of both growth and extinction. The challenge to growth is always with the entire team. A mighty river changes its course and the entire civilization living along its banks disappears!! The river does not change its course overnight and the land does not become barren immediately. Someone in the leadership position fails to read the signs of change and the growth of the civilization comes to a naught. The humans get scattered as the change forced by nature arrives and the civilization is de-rooted! The history is full of such occurrences and only the fittest survive. These fittest probably have the best will to grow even against uncertainties. Growth must withstand vagaries of multiple kinds. Most challenges do not come unannounced, they build with tell tale signs. This is where the team effort comes into play and the leadership must be grounded to pick each sign to de-risk the situations.

The will to grow should remain alive always. It is this will which harbingers the ideas, strategy, and energy to plan the path ahead. Each step forward takes one towards the summit. Giant leaps are not always possible but small steps are always (and almost) available. The effort of growth is sweetened when the success emerges. Adaptation along the way is another key to grow. Those who plan and analyze all along find the adaptation challenge easier to grasp.

Grow at will and the will to grow complement. Stay the path and continuous assessment would open the new steps to reach the point called the summit. Find the flaws and overcome the challenges. The right resources if deployed at the right time hold the key to growth and success. If the seed inside the fruit can avoid being damaged by the sharp edges of the knife, it is willing to find the next opportunity to grow. Let the seed inside you continue its tryst to discover new dimensions of life. Grow and focus to develop the will to grow!