One of the most overlooked principles of growth is this: life works in seasons.
Nature reminds us every day. A bamboo farmer knows it well. There is a time to plant, a time to root, a time to grow, a time to harvest, and a time to rest. Each season has its purpose. Growth is not constant. It is cyclical. And the bamboo farmer accepts this truth without resistance.
Yet too often, leaders and teams try to operate like machines. Constant output. Constant acceleration. No off-season. No recovery.
That is not how real growth happens.
The Season No One Wants to Honor
The Roman poet Ovid wrote, "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."
That was more than two thousand years ago. And we still struggle with the lesson.
In my work with leaders and organizations, I see this pattern repeat itself. A team finishes a major project. They push through long hours, navigate obstacles, and deliver results. And what is their reward? Another demanding project, assigned before anyone has caught their breath.
No celebration. No reflection. No rest.
The beauty of the growing cycle is that it gives the soil and the farmer time to regenerate. When we skip that season, we do not gain time. We borrow against the next harvest.
What Happens When We Skip the Off-Season
Pushing for nonstop output may deliver quick wins, but eventually it drains the very things that made those wins possible. Energy. Creativity. Resilience. Clarity.
Without rest, teams and leaders lose perspective. Burnout quietly replaces breakthrough. People start going through the motions instead of bringing their full effort. And the roots that were supposed to be deepening during the slower seasons never get the chance to take hold.
True strength comes from unseen preparation. Bamboo spends years spreading its root system underground before it ever breaks the surface. That invisible season is not wasted time. This is why the bamboo can grow 90 feet in 60 days once it finally emerges.
The same is true for people and teams. The seasons that feel slow or unproductive are often the ones doing the most important work.
Leading with Seasons in Mind
Leaders who thrive in the long term learn to pay attention to what season they are in. And they learn to honor each one rather than fight it.
This starts with observation. Pay attention to where your team is right now. Are they in a season of intense output? A season of learning and preparation? A season that calls for recovery? The answer shapes how you lead in that moment. What works during harvest does not work during planting. A good farmer knows the difference.
It also means building rest into the rhythm of your work, not as an afterthought, but as a practice. Even athletes have off-seasons. Even farmers let fields lie fallow. Recovery is not a sign of weakness. It is what makes the next season of growth possible. You cannot sustain an imbalance over the long term without damaging your quality of life and your team's work.
During the quieter seasons, invest in what does not show immediate results. Training. Reflection. Building stronger foundations. Strengthening relationships within your team. These are the roots that will hold when the next storm comes through. They are also the roots that ensure an abundant next harvest.
And when the harvest does arrive, stop long enough to celebrate it. Teams repeatedly go the extra mile, but their celebrations are often cursory or nonexistent. Stop and take time to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of the people around you. Celebration is not a luxury. It reminds everyone why the work matters. It creates the energy needed for the next push.
The Bamboo Farmer's Advantage
The great thing about bamboo is that it is sustainable. Once grown, it does not need to be replanted. It will grow again and again, year after year. The same is true for you and your team. When you build something with strong roots, you do not have to start from scratch every time. You build on what you have already created.
But sustainability requires rhythm. Plant. Tend. Harvest. Rest. Repeat.
Machines may run nonstop, but people are designed for seasons. When we align ourselves with that rhythm, we set ourselves up for lasting growth. When we fight it, we break down.
What season are you in right now, and are you honoring it?