I recently listened to an interview between Ezra Klein and Brian Eno — one of the most transformational music creators of our era.Eno spoke about the difference between architects and gardeners. He was talking about creativity, but not just about music. He was describing how systems — whether in art, leadership, or life — actually grow.

"Architects", he said, "make things. Gardeners grow things."

Architects design from the top down. They plan, structure, and control. Gardeners work from the bottom up. They plant seeds, observe, adapt, and let things unfold in their own rhythm.

It struck me how true this is for leadership too.

The Architect Mindset

Architects love plans. They love clarity and predictability. In leadership, that shows up as OKRs, SMART goals, and the constant pursuit of efficiency. Those tools are useful — they give direction and focus — but they can also feed the illusion that growth can be engineered.

When we lead like architects, we often stay inside our Known Zone — the space where we feel safe, in control, and capable. It’s comfortable, but limited. We design beautiful systems that look great on paper, yet leave little room for emergence. We end up managing people as if they were projects, expecting their development to follow the blueprint.

We see this all the time in our work. So many teams come to us looking for a solution — a new model, a new strategy, a better way to help their people grow. But growth doesn’t start with a framework. It starts with the leader. Most of the time, the team isn’t the one stuck inside the blueprint — it’s the person holding the pen.

The Gardener Mindset

Gardeners think differently. They understand that growth is alive — unpredictable, adaptive, and relational. They don’t try to control it; they tend to it.

In leadership, that means paying attention. Creating conditions for people to stretch and thrive — safety, challenge, feedback, trust — and then allowing them to find their own way forward.

If you’ve been part of one of our experiences, you know this feeling. The hardest part is starting — planting that first seed of change. But the real work comes after, when you have to let things grow on their own. To resist the urge to overwater, overplan, or overmanage. To stay present while the process takes its shape.

Leading like a gardener means living more in the Ambition and Potential Zones — the places that feel uncertain but alive. That’s where real development happens.

Coaching as Gardening

We’re seeing this play out right now with one of the teams we coach. They’re in the middle of difficult change — new roles, shifting structures, uncomfortable conversations. The hardest part for them, and for most leaders, isn’t the change itself. It’s staying open when things feel uncertain.

Every challenge, every awkward conversation, every moment that stretches beyond what’s known is an invitation to be the gardener — to nurture what’s emerging, not control it. Growth doesn’t happen through force. It happens through care, patience, and attention.

What Kind of Leader Are You?

Over time, I’ve come to see that the real work of leadership isn’t about designing perfect systems or managing performance charts. It’s about paying attention to how things grow — and how we grow with them.

When you lead like a gardener, you stop trying to force outcomes. You start noticing patterns, energy, and timing. You learn when to step in, when to step back, and when to simply wait.

It’s not easy. It takes patience, curiosity, and trust — in yourself and in the people around you.

So maybe pause for a moment and ask yourself:Are you leading from your Known Zone, where everything feels structured and safe?Or are you stepping into your Potential Zone, where growth is uncertain, messy, and alive?Are you still trying to be the architect of your team’s success — or are you ready to become the gardener of your own?