The Seasons of Leadership: Aligning Growth and Development with Nature’s Cycles

Spring is my favorite season. There is newness, unexpected surprises, hope, and inspiration. Although it is the second quarter of the year, as a veteran educational leader, it marks the beginning of planning for the upcoming school year, which begins in September.

A few years ago, I realized how much the seasons mirrored my learnings and growth as a systems and organizational leader.  I’ve come to embrace that leadership flows in cyclical rhythm that mimics seasons, and much like the seasons, it requires continuous growth, adaptability, and resilience (Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M., 2009). 

The Spring Season Of Leadership

During the spring phase of the leadership cycle, systems leaders focus on growth by starting new ideas, plans, and initiatives, focusing on and investing in personal and professional development, and building the foundational steps to successful new endeavors. During this phase of my journey, my focus on self-leadership is front and center.  “Being an effective self-leader involves learning deep self-awareness, being disciplined, and having a natural compass for guiding decisions (Manz, 1986). We may consider new positions, initiatives, or the experience of “aha” moments that shift our focus toward growth and revelations. 

The Summer Season Of Leadership

The “summer” season in a systems leader’s journey can be a time for renewal. Summer allows leaders the space and time to stay focused on sustaining energy and enthusiasm while addressing obstacles with agility and a solutions-oriented mindset. Olugboyega et al. (2024) state,

“By consistently evaluating their effectiveness and competence, leaders can ensure they meet the needs of their team and organisation.

This ongoing assessment allows leaders to make necessary adjustments to their approach and decision making, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and success.” Summer seasons offer distance and relaxation to evaluate personal and professional assets, while maintaining a focus on sustaining energy, enthusiasm, agility, and space to restore a solutions-oriented mindset. This season offers a focus on strengths,  renewal, and restored energy.  

The Fall Season Of Leadership

The fall season of leadership offers the beginnings,  celebrations, recognition, and the beginning of reflection, as there is often analysis of growth, lessons learned, and the preparation of change. 

Just as most school leaders are welcoming families and students back to school, analyzing and celebrating school data, and noticing the change in weather, the change of days, and preparation for the school year; our fall season offers an opportunity to acknowledge progress and set the stage for the next cycle of growth.

The Winter Season Of Leadership

I’ve found Winter to be the most important of all seasons.  It is a time of shorter days, nesting, colder weather, and rest.  Said another way, the slowing down and rest of “winter” offer reflection, where the seeds of transformation take root and grow. Winter’s quiet allows leaders to gather strength, learn from past experiences, and prepare for spring renewal. Through the season of reflection, we can explore and embrace dynamic change (Senge, 1990).

While we Californians typically enjoy relatively seasonable weather year-round, I am excited by the budding leaves of Spring, the warmth and freedom of summer, and the quiet, cold, and nesting at home during our rainy winters.  Like the four seasons (or three-ish, depending on your geographic location, arguably Californians enjoy 3 ish seasons) of the year, leadership development follows a similar cyclical process of renewal, cultivation, transformation, and reflection.  Recognizing these natural cycles in our leadership journey maximizes our impact personally and professionally. 

The cyclical nature of the four seasons provides a powerful metaphor for understanding leadership growth and development.

Aligning our leadership journey to these natural rhythms helps educational, organizational, and systems leaders reconnect with their purpose, unlock innovation, and trust their inner wisdom and intuition. 

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References

Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. Harvard Business Press.

Manz, C. C. (1986). Self-Leadership: Toward an Expanded Theory of Self-Influence Processes in Organizations. Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 585–600.

Olugboyega, O., et al. (2024). Effective Leadership Strategies for Organizational Success.

Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. Doubleday/Currency.