Why Early Leadership Intervention is the Key to Success
Bending the Twig
I recently sat down to record a new episode of the Level Up Leadership podcast titled ‘Leadership Growth: Bending the Twig’. It was an energising experience to revisit the timeless wisdom of the poet Alexander Pope and explore how his 18th-century insights remain deeply relevant to the fast-paced, tech-integrated world we navigate today. The conversation sparked a range of reflections on how we, as leaders and coaches, can better shape the future of our organisations by focusing on the roots of development.
(If the video doesn’t appear above, you can click here to view.)
The Core Concepts: Saplings and Rudders
The central theme of the episode revolves around a classic line from Alexander Pope: ‘Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined’. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the formative influences that shape a professional’s career and an organisation’s culture. The subtle, early nudges we provide to our teams have a far-reaching impact on their eventual trajectory.
We also explored the submarine analogy popularised by David Marquette. He suggests that a little rudder used far from the rocks is much better than a lot of rudder used close to the rocks. This highlights the efficiency of making small, proactive adjustments early on rather than waiting for a crisis to force a dramatic, and often painful, correction.
Finally, we contrasted two distinct leadership styles: the Gardener and the Firefighter. A gardener leader provides patient, daily care and observes growth closely to make gentle corrections. A firefighter leader only appears when things are urgent, attempting to solve deeply ingrained problems with heavy-handed, reactive fixes.
The Wisdom of Proactive Growth
In my book, Enhanced Leadership, I argue that the core of your leadership must be secure and self-aware. This internal foundation is what allows a leader to act as a gardener rather than a firefighter. When we focus on the formative stages of a project or an employee’s journey, we are investing in the ‘human core’ that technology cannot replace.
The biggest operational headaches rarely appear out of nowhere. They are frequently the result of old habits and unchecked bends that grew over time. For example, a haphazard onboarding process for a new hire can lead to a team member who is completely off-mission three years later. Conversely, spending time at the roots through clear communication and trust-building ensures saplings grow tall and straight.
In an AI-driven world, the temptation is to move faster and rely on automated outputs. However, as I mention in Enhanced Leadership, ‘the real challenge for the next decade is to deepen the very qualities that AI cannot replicate’. One of those qualities is the ability to provide nuanced, empathetic guidance to a team member in their early, flexible days.
AI is a brilliant tool for managing ‘administrivia’ and sifting through vast datasets. By using these tools to automate the noise, we reclaim the strategic time required to be present for our people. As the book states: ‘By automating the noise, we free ourselves for the work that only a human leader can do’. This is exactly where the ‘gardener’s touch’ happens.
Practical Takeaways for Leaders
If you are a senior leader looking to apply these concepts, consider the following actions:
Audit Your Onboarding: Treat a new joiner’s first few days as ‘pure sapling territory’. A single interaction where you listen to their concerns and clarify their role can determine their long-term alignment with the team’s culture.
Use the Little Rudder: Look for opportunities for micro-corrections in daily rhythms rather than waiting for formal reviews. Frequent, gentle nudges are more sustainable than periodic, heavy-handed decrees.
Run Pre-mortems: Before launching a new project, imagine what could go wrong and make adjustments in advance. This is the essence of bending the twig with intent.
Establish Leading Indicators: Track engagement and customer responses to spot potential issues before they become operational bottlenecks.
Practical Takeaways for Coaches
For coaches working with leadership teams, these frameworks offer a robust way to shift client mindsets:
Gardener vs Firefighter Assessment: Help your coachees identify their default mode. Are they investing in daily care, or are they constantly in rescue missions?.
The Shadow of the Leader: Encourage leaders to ‘externalise their wisdom’. When they make a small rudder correction, they should explain the thinking process to junior staff to bridge the ‘Apprentice Gap’.
Building Psychological Safety: Use coaching sessions to explore how leaders can create an environment where staff feel safe to ‘bend’ and voice concerns when they are minor.
AI as a Coaching Ally: Encourage clients to use AI tools for ‘safe experimentation’. For instance, a manager can use an AI tool to rehearse a difficult conversation, allowing them to try different ‘bends’ in a low-risk setting.
Conclusion: Your Commitment to Excellence
The journey toward enhanced leadership is a continuous process of learning and refinement. Whether we are managing a complex digital transformation or supporting a new team member, the principle remains the same: early, mindful actions avoid expensive corrections later.
I encourage you to look at your current projects and ask yourself if you are acting as a gardener or a firefighter. Are you waiting for things to snap, or are you gently guiding them toward the sun? True leadership strength is defined by the human qualities we protect and the intentional legacy we build.
Follow on LinkedIn - Spotify - YouTube - Apple
Level Up Leadership is a passion project in my spare time. I enjoy doing it, and I intend to keep these articles and podcasts free. However, the software and equipment I use isn’t free! So, if you are enjoying this content and would like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking this button. Thank you.
Great article. Managers who are good at putting out fires also tend to be arsonists