Providing the Right Environment to Cultivate Growth
When You Don’t Like the Rain
Now, I have never been a fan of the rain. Don’t get me wrong, I love how green it makes everything. But let’s be honest, I hate water on my glasses. Lol! Despite my dislike, rain does do something important.
What Looks Lifeless Isn’t Always Dead
If you look at places like the Australian Outback, you see a powerful contrast. During the dry season, the land looks lifeless. The ground is cracked. Rivers disappear. Plants turn brown. Everything feels still and empty.
But it isn’t dead.
Beneath the surface, seeds are waiting. Life is still there. It just has not had the conditions it needs to grow.
When the Rain Comes
Then the rain comes.
And everything changes.
Water fills dry riverbeds. Flowers begin to bloom. Animals return. What looked barren starts to feel alive again. It can happen in the blink of an eye.
But the rain did not create life. It revealed what was already there.
Not All Rain Feels the Same
Rain is not always gentle.
Sometimes it comes as a steady, soaking rain that restores what has been dry for too long. Other times it comes as a storm. Fast. Intense. Disruptive.
Both bring change.
Both are necessary.
And both play a role in bringing life back to the land.
Leadership Beneath the Surface
I think leadership works the same way.
There are people around us who may not stand out right away. They are steady. Quiet. Maybe even overlooked. It is easy to assume there is not much there.
But like the Outback in the dry season, that is not the full story.
There is potential beneath the surface.
When the Storms Come
There are moments in leadership that feel more like storms.
A difficult conversation.
A failure you did not expect.
Responsibility that feels too big.
A season where nothing seems to be working.
These moments are uncomfortable. They stretch us. They expose gaps. They force growth we would not choose on our own.
Some growth only comes in the midst of a storm.
When the Rain Nourishes
But storms alone are not enough to bring about change and life.
If all the Outback had were harsh, violent rains, the ground would erode. Seeds would wash away. Growth would not last.
Life also needs steady rain. It needs nourishment.
In leadership, that looks like encouragement. Trust. Support. Consistency.
It looks like giving someone a chance before they feel ready. It looks like staying with them while they figure things out.
This is what allows growth to take root.
Emerging Leaders Need Both
Emerging leaders are often not obvious. They do not always show up fully formed or confident. Sometimes, they don’t even recognize their own leadership potential, or they are waiting for someone to believe in them.
They need someone to trust them before they feel ready. They need an environment where they can try, struggle, and still move forward feeling psychologically safe. Sometimes they are waiting for rain.
As leaders, we often think growth comes from pressure. Give people a challenge. Push them. Stretch them.
That is part of it; but it is not the whole picture.
Rain is not just disruptive like in a storm. It can be steady and nourishing.
Challenge without support leads to burnout.
Support without challenge leads to stagnation.
Rain, in the right balance, provides an environment for sustainable growth.
Creating the Right Conditions
The goal is not just to test people. It is to cultivate them.
The Outback does not come alive because it is pushed. It comes alive because it is nourished.
And the same is true for people.
So, the question is not just who has potential.
The question is what kind of environment we are creating to expose that potential.
Bringing the Rain
Who around you is in a dry season?
Who looks quiet, overlooked, or not quite ready?
And what do they need right now?
Do they need a challenge that stretches them?
Or do they need support that nourishes them?
Maybe both.
What would it look like for you to bring the rain?
Bringing the Rain Starts With You
Take a moment this week to identify one person on your team who may be in a “dry season.”
Ask yourself: What kind of rain do they need right now—challenge, support, or both?
Then act on it. A single intentional conversation could be the beginning of their growth.
If you’re wondering how to better develop the people around you—or how to grow in your own leadership—I’d love to help.
Let’s have a conversation about how you can create the right balance of challenge and support on your team.
Reach out to schedule a leadership coaching session.
