How, and what, are you growing this month?

Happy Spring! I hope you are seeing the signs wherever you live of nature awakening to a new cycle of growth. This month we dive into our theme of GROW.

As I have been thinking about growth, the phrase “grow or die” keeps coming to mind. The quote most often applies to business. If your business is not growing, you are falling behind, and potentially headed toward business extinction.

The original concept of growth or death is found in the natural world. In both cases, it is a matter of survival.

But how is growth defined in either environment of the workplace or nature? Or even for us as human beings?

Plants, animals, and humans must continually be growing to develop their abilities within the changing environment around them so there are future generations.

It can mean physical growth, expansion, and more— adaptation, learning, and development of new behaviors and strategies.

So are we in a time where we and our businesses need to grow or fear death?

With the acceleration of change precipitated by the metaphorical cultural wildfire of the pandemic, all signs indicate the reality of yes as the answer to that question.

That feels like a lot. I’m taking a breath.

Humans have evolved and experienced big changes and adaptations in the past. Yet this time around, we have better tools to take on the journey ahead.

I’ll be sharing these tools all month, but first, my latest favorite book. If you’ve been with us for a while, you know of my admiration for Marty Seligman, the pioneer of Positive Psychology. He’s done it again, partnering with Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, MD, to recently publish, Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection—Now and in an Uncertain Future.

I typically take notes in books, but this one required post-it flaps because of the treasure trove of insights. Marty’s premise, we now have the tool of decades of the behavioral sciences to show us how to adapt better, create, be more resilient, and develop the skill of prospection (the meta-skill positioning us ahead of change).

The book seeds hope for the future and sheds light on some things you most likely are already doing. It also provides a clear road map for continuing to adapt, evolve, and grow individually and within our workplaces, families, and world.