As I scattered the seeds, dug the bulbs into place and planted the bare root roses across the fresh laid soil, the thoughts emerged without provocation and led me to see the parallels between the rules of nature and how people behave in organizations. Mother Nature is our teacher as the cycles in a business progress as the cycles in nature unfold. Observing these similarities led me to conclude that all living things are interconnected.

Whether the “seed” of a start-up or the undeveloped seed of a rose, neither is put into place until a design is created and the risks are mitigated. Growth is only feasible with a culture that feeds its core.

We need a strategic plan in our personal and business life—a dynamic roadmap to our overarching mission and vision. Utilize the nine steps in PlanKit^® , its business tools and prompts for self-reflection, to create a blueprint that will move you and your business from where you are to where you want to be. Keep in mind that the strategic plan you create using  PlanKit^®  is  dynamic. Revisit your plan, at least annually, and use the nine steps including the Force Field Analysis, cause and effect diagram, reinforcing and balancing loops and Porter’s Model of Five Forces, to keep your plan on track.

Effective leaders are authentic, who take time for reflection and highly regard their human resources—the conduit to quality customer service. A successful leader spends more time out of the office and face-to-face with her employees and customers ascertaining their needs than sitting behind a desk. To understand and successfully lead your staff is to provide needed resources, mitigate conflict before it escalates and be mindful of the power of the informal organization. We need more servant leaders and those who spend time in quiet thought among nature.

We must learn to communicate better and design our organizations without boundaries for honest and constructive expression of ideas. I believe that poor communication is the root cause of most complex systems’ problems.

The relevance of systems theory is the gateway to understanding a plausible, scientific rationale for how a single cell is connected to the expanding universes—how our daily routines intersect an infinite number of complex systems. Without an understanding of the interrelationships among the multiple sub-systems we are unable to  permanently resolve a problem at its root cause.

Reflecting on my thesis: the interconnectedness of all living things became clearer the more I embarked upon the subject. The misfortunes left as a result of Covid-19 descended upon us like blunt trauma leaving a world acutely aware of the tentativeness of life, and how connected we are across the globe.

Does the extraordinary virulence of the coronavirus arouse a new appreciation for Edward Lorenz’ chaos theory—such an extraordinary example of how small changes thousands of miles away create a storm across the world?

I point to complexity and chaos theories for answers as to why on January 6, 2021, large numbers of marchers breached the United States Capitol and the civil unrest that erupted across major cities in the United States in 2020.

Throughout Nature to Business:Wisdom from my Garden, you will be exposed to a plethora of theory and business tools that are immediately transferable to your business. I encourage you to incorporate Chris Argyris’ ideas on how to better communicate and manage conflict among staff. I urge you to reflect on how effective your organization’s design is in promoting optimal communication and productivity, and how well you support your staff’s growth and development through the efficacious provision of adequate resources.

I have provided the organizational theory, augmented with years of my experiences cultivating businesses and cultivating a garden. My hope is that you are inspired to see the world in a new way—to adapt and change—to realize a successful business and personal life are only possible by developing and nurturing relationships.

The earth and nature have existed for billions of years and have shown us its ability to adapt and heal far beyond the capabilities of man. It is my hope that you will spend time in nature contemplating the reflective prompts throughout the book. Mother Nature has much to teach us that we must learn. Without freedom we cannot learn, without learning we cannot survive.

Don’t ignore the pushes and pulls while you listen to nature for the answers.

My book is intended to be a lifelong reference; to probe, to teach, to inspire thought and to question.