I launched Fadfada startup in December 2018 with huge plans for my new business.
Fadfada would combat psychological health stigma in Sudan by providing of professional online counselling and raising mental health awareness through social media platforms.
Only one problem. A few days after launching, the Sudanese revolution began.
The rapidly deteriorating political and economic situation forced me to rethink Fadfada. I focused more on providing voluntary support groups and free sessions for the revolution’s victims subjected to physical or emotional abuse.
We’ve all heard the lovely motivational quote: “enjoy the journey, not the destination.” Let’s be honest, though. Sometimes the journey gets hard, and the obstacles, like a revolution, become unbearable.
Let’s improve upon this famous quote with a few powerful learning leadership lessons from nature.
Leadership Lessons from Nature: The Seed.
Growth is a rough and often painful process.
Accepting this belief is essential to fulfilling your ambitions and goals. Looking at nature, we see that maturation is often a challenging process.
Once upon a time, there was a seed. A giant tree was once a tiny lifeless seed that underwent a massive transformation.
When the seed is planted in the soil, it slowly expands to the point where it can no longer bear its original form. To evolve to its next stage, it must split into pieces, completely shedding its former identity. If we observe only this stage, we see the seed destroyed.
However, in its new form, the former seed continues to grow and develop, becoming a gigantic tree with deep roots, strong branches, vibrant green leaves, blooming flowers, and nutritious fruit.
“Inside the seed are many trees… Inside you are many kingdoms” – Bert McCoy
As leaders, we must ask the important questions during the rough times on our journey. What would happen if the seed were never planted? If it never underwent the transformation toward its full potential?
Leadership Lessons from Nature: The Sun.
Embrace your sun in all its phases.
Meditative practices teach us to live mindfully in the present moment. They teach us to let go of the sorrows of the past, release the fear of the future, and just appreciate the right here, right now. Looking at our universe through a mindful lens, we observe the ordinary things that happen every day, like the life cycle of the sun passing through different stages throughout the same day.
First, the sun rises from the east with gentle rays that peak through the clouds to declare night’s end. As the hours go by, the sun heats up and gradually changes its position in the sky, reaching its maximum height and temperature at midday. Then it slowly cools down as it heads towards the west announcing, the end of the daytime.
Every stage the sun goes through is necessary for our planet. We need its presence, absence, strength, and weaknesses for our ecosystem to survive and thrive. The same applies to us as leaders.
“You are the universe in ecstatic motion”- Rumi
Our ups and downs, competencies and flaws, happiness and sadness, achievements and failures are essential parts of our journey, evolution, and the way we create impact.
Leadership Lessons from Nature: Bamboo.
Be calm and keep watering your bamboo.
Bamboo trees are one of the most interesting plants because of their unique growth pattern. When bamboo cane starts growing, it takes around two months to increase in size, produce limbs and leaves, and deepen its roots. After this, first cane ceases growth forever.
Around the same time the following year, a new cane is produced. It grows in the same pattern. Once again, the growth stops at the end of the second month.
In the third year, Bamboo reaches its full maturity. Afterward, the number, height, and diameter of new canes are multiplied each year, creating a gigantic Bamboo colony that will flourish for ten years or more.
“The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience”― Leo Tolstoy
Your hard work may not bloom right away. No matter how trivial you think it is, every effort you spend produces a “new cane” in your bamboo colony.
Do More than Enjoy the Journey.
In the end, I do believe enjoyment is not the main aim of our life or leadership journeys.
Like the seed, we must dare our comfort zone and dive into new experiences. Like the sun, we must be humble enough to embrace our strengths and imperfections. And like the Bamboo tree, we must be patient while working for our dreams to come true.
After things started to settle down a little bit in late 2019, Fadfada’s operations started to improve. Then in March 2020, a pandemic hit the globe! Once again, I had to adjust to the new circumstances and cope with the unforeseen consequences.
These challenging experiences made me more patient with my personal and professional growth. They made me more resilient when pressure hits unexpectedly. They deepened my belief that success is about bouncing back from failure and never giving up.
Like the sun, seed and bamboo, that’s what my journey is about.
