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Environments that Thrive

Writer's picture: Eric StenderEric Stender

Environments that Thrive

With both of our sons in basketball, our family enters many different school gyms.  As a leader, I usually notice mission statements or key phrases on the walls that help form the essence of how a school desires to develop students.  Recently, I came across a powerful mission statement for Hartem High School in Hartsburg, IL.


Here’s their focus: “providing an empowering and collaborative environment allowing students to reach their full potential.” This powerful statement describes why and how this school exists creating the environment they are building for the next generation to be able to thrive.  Thrive can be defined as “grow or develop well or vigorously; prosper; flourish:”


No matter what kind of team you lead, group you’re a part of, or initiative you’re developing, there are 6 words that can identify a thriving environment: ( + bonus discovery question )


Empowering.  How can your mission empower others?  Leaders often struggle by taking the lion share of the work and the resources required without bringing others alongside them.  Empowering others needs to be a key ingredient to build a thriving team.


Collaborative.  “Better together” is a mantra for many successful teams.  Collaboration is “the action of working with someone to produce or create something.”  Team members and employees can really flip a switch in purpose and productivity when they work WITH others, not just FOR the company or boss.  What can you do to build a better spirit of collaboration in your current team?


Environment.  Identifying a place as an “environment" is intentional.  This is not just a location, a thriving  environment is one where people grow, flourish, and multiply.  Instead of just existing in a space, what is something you can do to make your current assignment flourish in a thriving environment?


Allowing.  A common leadership tendency is that of “I’ll just do it myself.”  Collaborative environments are areas where people are allowed to flourish.  Nothing stunts leadership growth more than rigid and restrictive workflows where everything must be done as the boss dictates.  What is an area you can release to help foster a more allowing environment?


Reach. This is the action that emerges in thriving environments.  When leaders feel empowered and allowed to explore fresh approaches, they will reach for new solutions, better answers, and higher levels of performance.  Goals that are worthwhile have a necessary element of reaching.  Reaching takes purpose and effort to keep moving forward.


Potential.  There is nothing more exciting when leaders feel like they are operating at their full potential.  Can you imagine the strength that a school or a workplace would possess if even HALF were reaching their potential?  Your team at their full potential would be a force to behold.  Strong leaders believe that their team has unlimited potential when operating in this type of environment.  What would it look like for your team to be operating at their full potential?  What would that feel like?  What could your team accomplish?


There’s much more that can make up a thriving environment, but these 6 phrases are a great start.  Through a professional coaching conversation, leaders like you can explore, define, and develop what thriving environments look and feel like.  If you’d like to explore how coaching can expand your potential, let’s get connected at www.leaningforward.life/coaching where you can access the link for a free curiosity call.  Together, let’s build a thriving environment for your leadership to flourish.


Photo cred: Kyle Wagner.  Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory, Toronto, Canada https://unsplash.com/photos/banana-plant-tL9kbQq5Opc?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

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