Appreciate the Garden

Who is in your garden?

Just as a garden is made up of different flowers, vegetables, and trees, every team, organization, classroom, or family is composed of individuals with different strengths, personalities, and roles.

Each person contributes something unique—some provide shade, others bloom brightly, some root deeply and stabilize the environment. Some are the first to sprout or bloom. These are the members who are not afraid to speak up first, take initiative, or step out of their comfort zone. Others may take longer to sprout and bloom, but that doesn’t mean they aren't growing.

Some flowers boast bold, bright colors—lively, talkative members who light up a room and draw immediate attention. While their energy brings life to the team, as leaders, we must also be intentional about noticing the quieter colors—the steady, dependable team members who may not immediately stand out but are just as vital to the health of the garden.

Most people admire the bright roses—the reds, oranges, and yellows—that light up a table for a few weeks before eventually drying out. But if we view our teams as gardens or bouquets, we realize the true beauty lies in diversity.

We need gardens filled with not just color and vibrancy but also character, compassion, conviction, consistency, and competence.

My mom loved peace lilies.

They don't have the bright colors of roses, but they have an impressive lifespan when properly cared for. I lost my mom a few years ago—she was my best friend, and I’m so grateful for the values and lessons she planted in me. She knew I didn’t have a green thumb, so she always gave me plants I couldn’t easily kill.

At her homegoing celebration, we had several peace lilies, and I now have one in my office. When it starts drooping or turning brown, I just water it, and it perks back up.

That peace lily reminds me: Boldness is beautiful, but quiet strength sustains.Bright personalities may draw attention, but longevity, stability, and quiet resilience are equally worthy of appreciation.

Cultivate Appreciation

Deep down, we all have a need to feel valued, seen, and appreciated. While we may prefer different forms of acknowledgment, the desire is universal.

As leaders, we must be intentional about cultivating appreciation. If we don’t build it into our rhythm, it’s easy to forget amid the busyness of competing demands.

John Maxwell, international best selling author of The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and dozens of other leadership books, often emphasizes the power of intentionality—not just in personal growth, but also in how we support and celebrate the growth of our teams.

One thing I love about Toastmasters is how we intentionally practice appreciation. We clap after every speech. We present awards. We cheer one another on. Small gestures like these create deep roots of encouragement and trust.

Identify the Flowers

Leaders must guard against prioritizing results over relationships.You don’t want people to follow you just because of your title—you want them to follow because they feel inspired, valued, supported, and appreciated.

Building strong relationships motivates people to contribute more fully—not just out of obligation but out of ownership and pride.

As leaders, we must regularly look around the garden:

• Is there a flower budding quietly, unnoticed?

• Is there a plant struggling in too much or too little light?

• Are some voices dominating meetings while others remain unheard?

By intentionally affirming hidden talents, nurturing overlooked strengths, and adjusting environments to allow every member to thrive, we create vibrant, diverse, resilient teams.

Seeing What's Been There All Along

Recently, I had a personal reminder.Driving home, I noticed beautiful blooms on a tree in our yard. We've lived here for seven years, and I had never seen it bloom! When I asked my husband, he said, "It blooms every year."

I couldn't believe it. Had I really been driving past these blooms year after year, so focused on work and routine that I missed them?

Sometimes in leadership—and in life—we’re so focused on opening the next door or reaching the next goal that we miss the blooms happening right in front of us.

Have we rushed past students or team members who are blooming?Are we so focused on results that we forget to notice the relationships being built along the way?

Appreciate Your Garden—Every Part of It

Look around your team, your classroom, your organization:

• Who’s blooming quietly?

• Who’s been pulling weeds behind the scenes?

• Who’s been helping others grow?

  
  

In our Toast with Confidence club, we’re blessed with a garden full of unique flowers—introverts and extroverts, the silly and the serious, the disciplined and the joyful. Some bring positive energy, others bring thoughtful reflection, all contribute in beautiful, irreplaceable ways.

We’re also mindful of weeds—the things that can choke out growth if left unchecked. In my work, we use the acronym WEED to identify:

• Whining and complaining

• Excuses

• Egos

• Doubt, division, and distractions

  
  

We’ll explore more about managing the weeds in the next post, Notice the Condition of Your Garden.

Reflection Prompts

• Who in your garden do you need to pause and thank today?

• What unique qualities does each person on your team bring?

• Have you unintentionally overlooked someone’s contribution?

  
  

Scripture Reminders

“Encourage one another and build each other up...” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11