How to expand your leadership when managing a greenhouse team

Photos © Adobestock

Let’s start with a little honesty: Sometimes the biggest problem in your business is staring back at you in the mirror.

It’s not the economy, the labor market or the weather (though, let’s be real, they all deserve honorable mentions). It’s the quiet, sneaky ways we get in our own way. It’s the stories we tell ourselves that keep us comfortable, safe and stagnant.

They’re called “limiting beliefs” and “blind spots,” and they’re leadership’s version of a flat tire — you can’t move forward until you stop long enough to fix it.

The lies we tell ourselves

We all have them — those little internal scripts that sound logical but are really fear in disguise: “I’m too busy. That’ll never work here. My team isn’t ready for that. I don’t have time to delegate. We tried that once and it didn’t work.”

Sound familiar? Those are comfort statements, not truth statements. They keep us from stretching, experimenting and letting others grow. And the worst part? The longer we repeat them, the more convincing they become.

In horticulture, it’s easy to justify them. We’re doers. Fixers. We built our careers on working harder, not necessarily smarter. But what got you here won’t get you there. When you cling too tightly to the old ways, or to the idea that you’re the only one who can do it right, you end up being the bottleneck in your own business.

Comfort statements keep us from stretching, experimenting and letting others grow. The longer we repeat them, the more convincing they become.

How blind spots grow in the greenhouse

Blind spots are the behaviors everyone else sees but you don’t. Maybe you think you’re protecting your team when you’re really just micromanaging. Maybe you believe you’re being efficient when you’re actually cutting people out of decisions. Or maybe your good intention to maintain standards ends up crushing innovation.

Here’s the hard truth: Your blind spots become your culture’s boundaries. If you, as the leader, stop growing, your company stops with you.

I once heard someone say, “Leaders cast shadows.” That line hit me hard because it’s true. Every habit, every reaction, every fear trickles down to the team. If you can’t see your own shadow, you’re probably standing in someone else’s light.

The brain behind the beliefs

Your brain loves comfort. It’s wired to keep you alive, not necessarily to help you evolve. That’s why the same patterns and excuses feel so familiar. When you try to change them, your brain burns more energy, so it resists. That’s why feedback stings. That’s why delegation feels risky. It’s not weakness. It’s biology.

But there’s good news. Neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire itself — means you can change. You can literally build new thought pathways by practicing new behaviors. Curiosity instead of defensiveness. Openness instead of control. Reflection instead of reaction.

Breaking the loop

So, how do you start? Here are a few tools that have helped me and should become tools for your business toolkit.

Catch the “always” and “never” language. If you find yourself saying, “We always do it this way,” or “That never works,” it’s a sign you’ve stopped being curious. Curiosity is the first step toward growth.

Ask for uncomfortable feedback. Try this one: “What’s something I do that makes your job harder?” Then — and this is key — shut up and listen. You’ll learn more in those 60 seconds than in a year of leadership podcasts.

Reframe the fear. Instead of saying, “If I delegate this, it’ll get screwed up,” try, “If I delegate this, we both learn something.” Fear can either protect you or progress you — your choice.

Schedule reflection time like it’s a meeting, because it is. It’s a meeting with your future self, the one who leads better, smarter and with more awareness.

Leadership as a mirror

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being self-aware enough to see your own patterns, own them and choose better ones next time. It’s not weakness to admit you’re part of the problem. It’s the starting line of real growth.

The best leaders I know don’t pretend to have it all together. They’re learners. They ask questions. They surround themselves with people who will challenge them, not just agree with them.

If you’ve been feeling stuck lately, if the same issues keep resurfacing, maybe it’s not the team, the timing or the market. Maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and ask, “What story am I telling myself that’s keeping me here?”

And then have the guts to write a new one.