Leadership Lessons from Peonies: The Power of Support and Collaboration

Peonies are the most beautiful summer flowers, with bright colors and a delightful fragrance. However, during their bloom, the peonies often grow so large that they are unable to support themselves and fall to the ground. This can sometimes impact the duration of their blooming period. To prevent this, peonies require support while growing due to their heavy flowers and brittle stems.

Using a peony cage helps keep the flowers from falling over. Many peonies benefit from some form of support to prevent stem breakage and damage from winds or heavy rains. With the right support, they can continue to bloom and thrive.

A similar situation often occurs in the workplace. When our workload increases or new challenges arise, we may need to seek support from our colleagues. However, some people become territorial and avoid sharing responsibilities, failing to see the bigger picture. Each person brings a unique perspective and can contribute in different ways. Some colleagues may even assist with managing tasks or provide overarching governance while you focus on delivery.

We all need support from time to time to prevent ourselves from falling like the peonies. These support systems don’t take away credit; leadership is about sharing credit with others. Many employees at junior or mid-level positions believe that only senior employees can demonstrate leadership. However, we all have the ability to display leadership traits. Look around your workplace and try to create a map of what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. Identify colleagues who can assist you based on their strengths. Write down your name and their names next to each task.

By designing your ecosystem of support, you will blossom to your fullest potential, just like beautiful peonies.