If you’re a leader or nurture other leaders, then this blog post is for you!
I believe that mangrove forests are a great metaphor for a leader’s role. To understand what I mean, please watch this 13 second video that shows how mangrove forests protect the shores from large waves. Then continue reading.
I love how elegantly the video demonstrates mangrove forests’ essential role. Mangrove trees minimize the large incoming waves’ force and allow water to gently pass through.
To me, this is a metaphor for the role that strong leaders play. Like waves, outside forces constantly crash upon unprotected shores. Leaders, like mangrove forests, help minimize these potentially destructive forces. They must be strong and durable, sticking to their established values and goals. Their job is to diffuse non-essential pressures so that those they protect can focus on work that matters.
Conversely, from the shore it may seem calm and peaceful. Perhaps we might not even be aware of the crashing waves in the distance. Similarly, my mentors in Downey Unified School District did an amazing job of protecting our team so that we could focus on what mattered while they filtered out as many of the distractions as possible.
Realize that waves may come from both outside and inside a school district. For example, outside waves might include new state and federal regulations while inside waves might look like an endless list of priorities (to the point where you have little bandwidth for any one of them). With more perspective, I see that I was often blissfully unaware of the pounding my mentors took because everything seemed tranquil from the beach where I stood.
So, thank you to all the leaders who protect others like mangrove forests. While we won’t always know or understand the pressures you face, we appreciate the work you do so that we can do ours.