Clarity in and Out of Season: The Orchard Leader, Part 1
Winter: Clarity Beneath the Surface
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus
At first glance, the orchard seems asleep.
Bare branches reach toward a pale sky. The soil is hard, the air still. Yet under the surface, life hums quietly roots deepening, microbes feeding, and energy gathering for what comes next.
Leadership has its winters too those quiet seasons when activity slows and the noise fades. We question our progress, wonder if growth has stopped, and feel the chill of uncertainty …. sound familiar? Have you felt like this as a leader? I know I have been in this season many times and its tough when not approached with the right mindset.
But the truth is, clarity often germinates in stillness. The hidden work beneath the surface determines the harvest ahead.
Healthy orchardists never waste a winter.
They prune, plan, and protect. The knife that removes dead wood is not punishment it’s preparation. By cutting back, the tree directs its energy toward what will bear fruit later.
Leaders face the same choice.
Winter invites us to discern what must be cut away: outdated habits, tired processes, or even old identities.
It’s a season for asking deeper questions:
What’s worth carrying into the next chapter?
What needs rest, not resistance?
What might be holding us back from healthy growth?
Every orchard thrives on the unseen: soil, roots, and the delicate ecosystem beneath them. Leadership is the same. Our “soil” the beliefs, relationships, and rhythms we live from must stay alive if we want sustainable fruit.
This is where the Sweet Spot Framework brings clarity.
Sweet Spot Tool
Passion is the warmth that keeps purpose alive in cold conditions.
Wiring is the tree’s natural shape its strengths and tendencies.
Fruit is the visible outcome of unseen alignment.
Winter tests this alignment. When outcomes are sparse, leaders rediscover whether they’re rooted in conviction or driven by comparison.
In team life, this is also the season when the Support–Challenge Matrix becomes vital.
It defines the climate of your orchard.
Too much challenge, and you freeze the soil (Domination).
Too much support, and you waterlog the roots (Protection).
Too little of both, and the orchard lies neglected (Abdication).
But when Support and Challenge dance together…. the climate of Liberation …. your team grows stronger even in the frost.
True clarity comes when leaders prune with belief and nurture with honesty.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Winter leadership means creating space for all five voices to be heard — not just the loudest.
It’s about asking:
“What voice does our orchard need most right now?”
Often, it’s the quieter ones that keep the roots alive.
Three practices for leading well through winter:
1. Prune with Intention.
Create room for renewal. Review projects, commitments, and even expectations. Ask,
“Does this branch still serve our purpose?”
2. Feed the Soil.
Winter is when orchardists replenish nutrients. Leaders do the same by investing in rest, reflection, and honest conversation. Use the Know Yourself to Lead Yourself tool:
Notice your tendencies (root system), your behaviours (branches), and your impact (fruit). Adjust early, before spring begins.
3. Stay in the Climate of Liberation.
Support your team through encouragement and empathy, yet keep challenge alive. Ask,
“What truth will set us free this season?”
Winter quietly tests all four.
Competence: Having the discipline to rest well and review honestly.
Credibility: Modelling self-awareness before asking others to change.
Chemistry: Maintaining connection and warmth even when output slows.
Character: Staying rooted when others drift toward distraction.
Reflection for Orchard Leaders
What do I need to prune to make space for new growth?
Which relationships or rhythms need nourishment?
How might I bring both support and challenge to my team this season?
Which of the 5 Voices in me (and my team) needs listening first?
Clarity, like life, begins beneath the surface.
The healthiest orchards and the healthiest leaders trust that unseen growth still counts.
Winter may feel barren, but it’s the season that decides the strength of the next harvest.
Stay rooted.
Tend the soil.
And trust that clarity will bloom again in its time.
James