The wind howled, howled like it wanted us to pay no other attention then to it. The sound, the way it shook our buildings with little effort and a giant force for us. Remember me! You are not the gods you pretend to be.

Nature, faith, community these words came to my mind as I listen to the howling.

Looking over at the birds at the feeder. Winter is a joyful exchange of rest reflection and forward faith into what is possible, what we hope for. The birds waited in the safety of nearby branches and bushes for reprieve from the wind, and then to descend into the abundance of seed. The branches dance with each gust. Happy fluttering of wings back-and-forth for branches to seed, seed to branches.

The wind reminds us of the dark and to act within light. This is an every day practice. We knew a storm was coming, paying attention to the weather and the forces around us, we had prepared. We had prepared with wood for heat, candles in case the power went out and ready made food.

The birds show us how to be safe in a storm, to take care of our needs, enjoy when we can and retreat out of harms way when needed.

What does wind bring to mind for you?

I watched the sunlight come in through the window, and I felt immediate gratitude, Sun! We are in for a sunny day. A welcomed change from the recent storms and grey skys.

Friends are like sunlight. They warm us up from the inside out. They remind us of the grace in life, how to hold paradox, and really good friends, they bring us back to purpose. They relate to our hard and our joy.

I hope everyone has a friend that feels like sunshine.

Who is your sunshine?

It had been raining most of the night, first snow, freezing rain and then plain old rain. There was a thick grey mist that was felt as we walked on. Max-dog pulled at his lead and turned me around to see a tree laid bare now in the fullness of winter. It structure exposed for the intricacy of the branches and upon each branch where there were buds from the season before to nibs of potential in the season to come. Moss growing on some parts of the bark, divest of wherever it may have been damaged - everything about it naked.

It’s amazing to think that going in to the winter the best way for the tree to be is completely naked - showing us the beauty of its strength and exposing its ‘weaknesses’ for all to see. How courageous.

I’m working with a CEO now who is laying her organization bear. We’re walking the path together to strengthen their culture and accelerate their growth. We do this in the same way as the tree - we must lay bear the structure underneath. What’s here that’s working and what’s not. Do we need to limb a branch to strengthen the growth. Late winter is the best time to prune fruit trees - in their dormant state cutting back a few branches to re-purpose the energy come Spring. The tree comes back stronger, the fruit more plentiful and we in symbiotic care with the tree collaborate in what needs to be cut.

As we walked along and past the spruce - it’s leaves a core part of the shape and strength of the tree. The diversity of trees and how they each showed up coming into winter was beautiful to witness. Some showed an incredibly deep red brown colour previously hidden by light green leaves, others all the mosses - bright green and grey growing on parts of the trunk or core branches and many buds now dormant kissed with the gift of possibility.

I only work with organizations and leaders willing to look at their naked organizations - willing to expose the structure and any issues within so that we can address the opportunities and challenges in service of their mission. It’s a hard thing to do to look so vulnerably at what is below the noise of leafy activity and instead at the root, trunk and branches so that we might make the changes needed. It takes strength and courage.

What courage do you want to lay bear today?

The sky is more grey than blue. Two thirds full of a thick cloud bank rounded to a crescent shape where it opens up to the azure blue above.

Life can be like that at times - more grey than blue or more blue than grey

A scale up client is in the push and pull of growth - some parts working at accelerated innovative speed and others still finding their way, missing key talent to shape the capability needed to also accelerate growth.

What we know is the blue sky is there and the clouds will dissipate at some point. It’s holding both that is our challenge and our gift.

When we move into judgment as in the case of my client and judge the leader or CEO harshly for example for not having set up his organization well by hiring senior talent soon enough and instead just the ‘doers’ we lose the skill of curiosity under which is the magic of learning. Staying curious as to the how, when why of the current situation affords us much greater insight so as to learn for true accelerated growth.

The Director of Talent recommended they hire a C-level role to run engineering. There is double the money in the current market making attracting that calibre of talent difficult and therefore taking more time than maybe they had originally bargained. So, the Director of Talent also recommended hiring a VP level in case that might be ‘easier’. The CPO pushed back - we will lose focus and the current Director in Engineering is doing a good and enough job. If we move into judgment too quickly we don’t get to find out more about the CPO. What’s his origin story, the context for how he might have come to that conclusion. Letting go of judgment to the CPOs offered solution enables greater depth of understanding for the situation and who he is - his biases and assumptions. No matter what solution they choose, the opportunity instead is to learn about how they make these decisions. Who weighs in, when, why with what. How does it influence the team to execute or not. Staying in a place of curiosity is the magic that unlocks holding both.

The grey clouds offer rain or snow to come - important nourishing elements at this time of year. The blue sky does the same in a different way.

All of it without judgment of good or bad - it is and we in it.

> What is for you today?

Coming from the west, still blowing cold, I opened the door to take in the night sky and was blasted with it, then I heard her name Bets.

Is this the wind that calls sailors to sea?

My sailor friend Bets an adventurer, gardener and leader I wondered what it was about. Certainly the wind can bring messages if we’re listening.

In the meetings we run to day to day I hear leaders share their perspective, advocate for a point of view or an action plan. I do not hear listening. They respond to what the others are saying with rationale, explanation but no curiosity.

It is not the “I” that wins the day, it’s the we. The collaboration in problem solving of finding new ways forward we hadn’t yet considered or thought of. There is an art to collaboration to holding an effective meeting, beside the table stake of a good agenda and facilitation. It’s active listening - to stop the thoughts in your head in response to whatever the person is saying and focus intently on what they are actually saying.

I’ve given many folks this simple tool I learned in coaching - when you hear your head go off in response, instead repeat the words of the person you’re listening to. This allows you to stay present in the moment of the conversation, and ask a question before offering a solution. Maybe there’s more to be understood before we dive into action. Maybe there’s more alignment to be gained. Maybe there’s more.

What is the wind calling to you?

The snow is smooth like fondant covering a cake - the slopes the pond the field. Not one indication of movement above or below the surface. An image of absolute stillness and quiet

All the animals hunkered in there burrows and den’s curled up and staying warm

An image of cosy in contrast to the landscape. The wonder of paradox. Cosy in amongst the -21°C snow covered hills trees and Pond. Everyone where they should be, awaiting the warmer day to come.

How do we remember that we can hold both?

In the current times of polarizing views there doesn’t seem to be a remembering. But even those we perceive to be “extreme” or opposite can be beautiful in their opposition. We can appreciate the community that is created we can lean into our shared skills of empathy dialogue curiosity to seek understanding. To find the way back to being together.

The snow and this landscape does not draw borders or delineate its welcoming of our footsteps and our appreciative gaze based on a perspective. It is a shared space for me, Max dog, the wild animals plants water. All of us appreciating and remembering that we are here together.

How will you hold cozy in the extremes?

Standing in the wind I feel it push me forward. I feel the strength of it. I hear the howling through the trees and across the field

We withstand the wind and the cold for the promise of what’s to come, relief and the next season.

We stand in it to remember our strength of holding ground

We stand in it to take in the awe of the natural world of which we are part

Max dog rolls around in the fresh deep snow he is happy

What strength do you stand in today?

We stepped out into a blurry landscape, not sure if it was my eyes or what was a very low cloud cover or mist. As Max-dog and I proceeded along the path, the wind picked up and I could then see the low-level clouds moving across the fields and against the forest.

Sometimes we’re not sure is it me or them?

The new executive had two mandates, raise the level of leadership across the board and instill operational excellence. This mandate is far reaching across all groups and requires a deep collaboration with all leaders

The first toes she stepped on were the COO. In an SLT meeting there was clear tension when the COO was asked to give over one of his perceived responsibilities. A tough conversation no matter the context.

The new exec and the COO had collaborated to set up the SLT discussion and she thought he was clear on the objective but in the ensuing discussion it was evident he was not and now a public conversation outed the misunderstanding. He was pissed. She was surprised. Where to go from here?

Crucial conversations are not easy but they’re worth it. These two executives are critical to achieve the business goals and at an important time in ensuring its strong market lead position. Friction at the top can slow things down. They needed to talk and stay in dialogue to find a way back to trust.

She knew where she had gone wrong in the discussion, not enough empathy and too hard driving to what she thought was was a shared goal. He felt betrayed and diminished in front of his peers. Is there a fault?

There is dialogue and learning a new way

When we arrived at the pond Max-dog’s cowl went up and we both slowed to a standstill to survey the potential threat. A deer? A coyote? Or the Fox that has made a den in the eastern slope? No, it was the pair of snow shoes I had stuffed into a snowbank for later use that Max dog took offence to it. An unusual object in his expected perception.

What do you see anew in your landscape?

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.” ― Sun Tzu

We walked into the snowfall. New snow almost always takes me back to the wonder of childhood.

Landing like icing sugar atop everything and a fresh mist upon my face.

It was a lovely surprise. The implications of which, not yet registering or feeling important. Like, shovelling, more wood on the fires etc.

Isn’t it wonderful to welcome a surprise and just be in the joy of it without judgment.

What wonder will you invite into your day?

What if it doesn’t matter. The thoughts in your head, the worry about what could be or what was. What if it doesn’t matter.

We crunch along the path, observing the light change the day. It’s a pink sky this morning. The pond still in the shadow of trees and is captured by the blue cold of leftover night.

We stepped out of the pink sunlight and into the blue. It’s a different feeling here. Max dog plays in the deep snow following the scent of Fox. He has enough and so we walk back into the light, the feeling changes again.

Step into the light. Step out of the light.

What if these thoughts don’t matter?