šŸŒŽ Nurturing Your Ecosystem

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Understanding Your Environment, Needs, and Best Fit

For a long time, I thought resilience was mostly about what I could do.

Work harder.
Learn more.
Develop my skills.
Build better habits.
Become stronger.

And those things matter.

But recently, I had to ask myself a different question:

What if the problem isn’t only what I’m carrying? What if I also need to pay attention to the conditions around me?

That question is at the heart of the Ecosystem in the Resilience Treeā„¢.

When Your Ecosystem Gives You Clues

This year, I’ve been paying closer attention to the clues my Resilience Treeā„¢ gives me.

I’ve noticed what happens when I’m overwhelmed. I notice when I overwork, when I disconnect, when I stop making time for things that restore me, and when I start pouring everything I have into the things I can control.

Those behaviors tell me something.

Not necessarily that something is wrong with me.

Sometimes they are telling me to look around.

What is happening in my Ecosystem?

  • What are the expectations?
  • What support is available?
  • What opportunities do I have to use my strengths?
  • What conditions are helping me grow?
  • What conditions are making growth harder?

That shift matters.

Instead of asking only,

ā€œHow do I become more resilient?ā€

I can also ask:

ā€œWhat conditions does my Resilience Treeā„¢ need to thrive?ā€

The Ecosystem of the Resilience Treeā„¢

In the Resilience Treeā„¢, Ecosystem represents Contextual Resilience.

It is our ability to understand the conditions around us, recognize how they influence our growth, understand what we need, and assess our fit.

Our Ecosystem includes the things that surround and influence us:

  • Culture
  • Policies and procedures
  • Leadership
  • Relationships and community
  • Opportunities
  • Resources
  • Expectations
  • The work we are being asked to do

And here’s something I think we sometimes forget:

Fit is not only something an organization determines about us.

When we interview for a job, apply for a program, join a team, or step into a new leadership role, we are evaluating the environment, too.

We get to ask:

Is this a place where my Resilience Treeā„¢ can grow?

Understanding Your Needs

CliftonStrengthsĀ® has helped me become even more aware of this.

Our talents influence how we naturally think, feel, and act. That means we may have different needs in order to do our best work.

Someone may need opportunities to learn, someone else may need autonomy, and another person may need collaboration, recognition, challenge, stability, or time to think.

The question isn’t:

ā€œWhat environment is best?ā€

It’s:

ā€œWhat conditions help me do my best?ā€

And then:

ā€œDoes this Ecosystem provide enough of those conditions for me to thrive?ā€

That doesn’t mean every difficult situation is a bad fit.

Growth is rarely comfortable.

Sometimes we need to adapt, sometimes we need to ask for something different, sometimes we need to build support around ourselves.

…and sometimes, we need to acknowledge that the environment itself is not allowing us to flourish and we need to uproot and replant.

Surviving Is Not the Same as Flourishing

Trees adapt to their surroundings.

  • They grow toward light.
  • Their roots respond to the soil.
  • Their branches respond to storms.
  • They adjust to changing seasons.

But adaptation does not mean every environment is healthy.

A tree can survive in difficult conditions.

Surviving is not the same as flourishing.

Many leaders are exceptionally good at surviving.

  • We know how to adjust.
  • We know how to overcome.
  • We know how to push through.

But contextual resilience invites us to ask a different question:

ā€œWhat am I learning about the conditions around me?ā€

Because sometimes resilience means becoming stronger.

Sometimes it means changing what we can.

And sometimes it means recognizing that we need a different place to grow.

Living the Resilience Treeā„¢

Our Roots help us understand who we are.

Our Branches remind us that we are not alone.

Our Fruit helps us consider what we are producing and when it is nourishing to share.

Our Ecosystem helps us understand the conditions surrounding us and whether they support our ability to flourish.

A healthy Resilience Treeā„¢ does not simply ask:

ā€œHow can I survive here?ā€

It also asks:

ā€œWhat do I need to grow?ā€

And:

ā€œIs this an Ecosystem where I can flourish?ā€

šŸŒ³ This Week’s Resilience Treeā„¢ Check

šŸŒŽ How is my Ecosystem?
What clues help me know if the conditions around me allow me to thrive and flourish?

Then look at the rest of your tree:

šŸŒ± How are my Roots?
What activities, spaces, and practices help me breathe, restore, and refuel?

šŸŒæ How are my Branches?
Who believes in my potential, and who helps me grow into that potential?

šŸŽ How is my Fruit?
How do I know when my Fruit is ready and nourishing to share?
Is the Fruit I am producing nourishing to me and others?

And finally:

What is my current Ecosystem teaching me about what I need?

Because resilience is not about forcing yourself to grow anywhere.

It is about understanding yourself, your needs, and the conditions that help you flourish.

šŸŒ³ Keep tending your Resilience Treeā„¢.

Dr. Shauna T. Sobers
Leadership Facilitator | Coach | Author

Helping leaders embrace their strengths, build resilience, and find ecosystems where they can thrive.

This reflection is part of my ongoing series exploring resilience, leadership, and the Resilience Treeā„¢Ā framework.Ā Read about it on my webpage –Ā https://shaunatsobers.com/resiliencetree/

If it resonates, Iā€™d love to hear your story in the comments or join the conversation in theĀ Resilience Tree Grove: A women-centered space for reflection, growth, and connection –Ā https://www.linkedin.com/groups/18348031/

Written by Dr. Shauna T. Sobers with drafting assistance provided by OpenAIā€™s ChatGpt. The thoughts & stories are my own.