Spring: A Season that Reminds Us to Embrace a Leadership Growth Mindset

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Welcome to the Leadership Quotient, where we explore the wisdom of those who’ve led before us to help us all lead better today. I’m Dusty Holcomb. Here’s what I believe. Before you can lead others, you must lead yourself. In every episode, we take a powerful quote, and we wrestle with it together, drawing out the hard truths and the real life leadership lessons that will help you lead with clarity, purpose, and impact.

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Because leadership is built one intentional choice at a time. Let’s get started. Spring. It’s a season of renewal, preparation, and growth. Tony Sorenson once said, spring is far more than just a changing of seasons.

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It’s a rebirth of the spirit. That thought resonates deeply because in so many ways, spring reminds us that leadership, like life, is a process. Now I’ll tell you, spring is my second favorite season right after fall. Fall, you have the harvest. You have football.

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You have all the things that are coming to fruition based on the work that’s been put in. And that’s really what it’s about. Fall is the reward. Spring represents doing the work. It’s about the hope of what’s to come.

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It’s about the planting, cultivating, and believing in a future harvest that isn’t yet visible. Leadership really follows that same rhythm. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. The most impactful leaders invest long before they see results. They build relationships, develop teams, and cultivate a culture that takes root over time.

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Just like a farmer plants seeds in faith, leaders must be willing to invest in what isn’t yet visible. And that’s where the challenge arises, patience. Growth requires time, and time demands trust. Leadership isn’t about quick fixes or instant success. It’s about daily decisions that shape the future.

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So the question is, what seeds are you planning today? And more importantly, are you willing to nurture them even when the results aren’t immediate? A leadership growth mindset means embracing the reality that growth is a process, not an event. Just as a farmer sows seeds with confidence in a future harvest, leaders must take steps today that may not bear fruit for months or even years. This mindset is about patience, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to long term success.

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Early in my leadership journey, I mentored someone who was struggling to find their own way. They were struggling to find their confidence as a leader. They had tons of potential, but they didn’t see it in themselves, at least not yet. I spent time investing in them, coaching, giving feedback, pushing them a bit to take on challenges outside of their comfort zone. And honestly, there were moments when I wondered if any of it was making a difference.

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Fast forward years later, they they came to me and thanked me for believing in them when they couldn’t see it for themselves. That moment reminded me that leadership is about planting seeds. Sometimes you won’t see the impact right away, but trust me, it’s there growing beneath the surface. BC Forbes once said, it is only the farmer who faithfully plants the seeds in the spring who reaps a harvest in the autumn. For me, that word faithfully is the key.

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The best leaders choose to invest in their people, their teams, and their culture long before the results show up. And yet many give up too soon when results aren’t immediate. Frustration creeps in. But leadership isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about trusting the process.

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One of the books that has shaped my leadership philosophy and journey is the seven habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. Covey’s principle of beginning with the end in mind aligns perfectly with planting with intention. Leaders must define what they want to cultivate before they begin the work. Spring is the perfect time to step back, reflect, and ensure that you’re planting the right things. Nothing grows overnight.

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Leadership isn’t about quick wins. It’s about staying the course. Think about a tree. The moment a seed is planted, the work has only just begun. It takes years of watering, pruning, and protection before it reaches its full potential.

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The same is true for leadership. It’s easy to want immediate change, but transformation takes time. The best leaders understand that patience and discipline separates those who simply manage from those who truly lead. Are you focused on short term results or building something that will last? And yet a leadership growth mindset is about more than just planning.

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It’s about tending to what you’ve started. Without consistent care, even the best ideas and intentions wither, Leaders who embrace this mindset commit to continuous improvement, build resilience, and view challenges as part of the journey, not as roadblocks. Here’s some leadership principles that you can employ for nurturing a growth oriented leadership mindset. First, encourage your team to see learning as essential and mistakes as stepping stones. Learning is part of what we do.

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Second, recognize small wins. Progress fuels momentum. Celebrate growth along the way. Third, stay committed to the vision. When challenges arise, remember why you started and keep moving forward.

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There will be moments when progress feels slow, when obstacles feel insurmountable. But just like the farmer who plants in faith, leaders must trust the process. Growth isn’t always visible at the moment, but every challenge brings an opportunity. Carol Dweck’s power of yet perfectly captures this mindset. Instead of seeing obstacles as failures, we can see them as steps forward, opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve.

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Her TED Talk has influenced my leadership approach reminding me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers today, but about committing to growth over time. Here’s some personal leadership practices that you can make actionable. First, plant with intention. Step back to find success in your leadership roles. What skills, habits, and values are you intentionally cultivating?

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Second, be patient but proactive. Growth takes time, but it doesn’t happen by accident. Consistency matters. Third, embrace a yet mentality. Instead of saying I can’t do something, shift to I can’t yet do something.

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You can’t eat the corn the day you plant it, but your effort today makes the harvest possible. This spring, what seeds are you planting? Leadership is a long term commitment. Like a farmer in the spring, we plant, nurture, and trust the process, knowing that real growth takes time. The challenge is staying faithful during planting even when the harvest is far off.

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It’s the spring. There’s so much promise in the air. There’s so much joy to be had. Invest. Plant the seeds.

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Lean in. It’s only when we do that that we can have a hope for a harvest. That’s it for today’s conversation on the leadership quotient. Before you move on to whatever’s next, pause. Sit with this quote.

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Let it work on you. Leadership is shaped in these moments, the quiet decisions no one sees but you. Take this. Turn it into action. And if this resonated with you, share it with someone else on their leadership journey because we all lead better together.

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Until next time, lead well and lead on purpose.