A key ingredient of cultivation is time. We can’t get around this. Every person who wants to cultivate leaders must learn to wait. We simply can’t cultivate overnight. It took my jalapeños a while to finally come out of the ground, and they had more growing to do.

Eventually, they produced flowers, and then the flowers fell off. I was pollinating them correctly, and I was still watering, still protecting. They had adequate sun, soil, and water, but they wouldn’t bear fruit. I wasn’t sure what the problem was, but I continued to do the basics and give it time. Eventually, the fruit was finally born! We made salsa!

Through this experience, I made this observation:
waiting = patience + perseverance

Cultivation takes time, and you must wait for things to grow. Waiting isn't passively sitting by and watching. You will likely still be working hard, maybe even struggling while waiting. Perseverance is the strength to continue working even when you don't yet see the fruit.

When rebuilding a sports team, you'll often hear coaches say, "Trust the process." They recognize time is a crucial ingredient to lasting change and growth. Leadership is the same.

What are we waiting for?

It’s a lot easier to meet a need when it is a felt need. Need is a great teacher’s aid. Leaders must balance initiating to meet needs before they arise and waiting for others to recognize their need.

Maturity

Maturity is the realization of growth. Growing is a slow process. It's important to celebrate the milestones along the way. Maturity is reached when the subject reflects the image of what it was created to be and carries out the role it was designed to fulfill. Understanding a vision of who you were made to be and what you were created to do are vital to maturing as a leader.

Need

Sometimes those you're leading don't feel they need help. It’s a lot easier to meet a need when it is a felt need. Need is a great teacher’s aid. Leaders must balance initiating to meet needs before they arise and waiting for others to recognize their need.

Change

Our environment is not static; it's constantly changing. Sometimes as a leader, you are waiting for a process to complete or play out. This could be waiting for someone to finish a project before challenging them to a new role or waiting for someone to complete a challenge previously given.

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How do we wait?

Patiently. And actively, here are four important actions that are present as you wait:

1. Provide
2. Protect
3. Resist

We've already covered providing and protecting. Neither of these stops while you're waiting. They are essential roles, and while they may change for a season, they don’t cease while we wait.

Let’s be honest, though; for most of us, waiting is hard. There are parts of us which it grates against, and we will struggle to get out of waiting. This struggle temps us to take shortcuts and manufacture growth. A temptation we must resist.

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