Planting trees you will never see

Interior of Sagrada Familia

I love cathedrals and other major centres of worship, such as Sagrada Familia, Hagia Sophia, Durham Cathedral and many others.

A key aspect of such buildings are that almost all of those who were part of their construction knew that they were contributing to something they would never see completed in their lifetime.

They were planting trees they would never see.

Today some musing on #OpenLeadership and planting trees you will never see.

One of the potential benefits of having years of experience is to become crystal clear on the type of work you will and won’t do.

My dear friend and mentor Suki Laniado Smith has that clarity. She chooses to work with what she calls “Cathedral Leaders”, which she defines (see her bio) as:

“Leaders whose inspiration and influence will embed in their organisations a sense of purpose and values that will live on longer than they will.”

It takes a special type of leader to model #OpenLeadership, someone who is a “cathedral builder”, who is planting trees they will never see. Such…