“Your keynote was so much fun, and funny!”
I hear some version of that often while signing books after a presentation. I love hearing it. Few people know the humor started with a dare I gave myself many years ago.
Locked In: Water the Bamboo, Not the Score
I love tennis, whether I'm playing it or watching it.
I'm not that good, but I will be in 40 years! The Tennis Channel is on at our house almost 24/7. Tennis has become our family game. We play it, watch it, and talk about it.
So while watching this year's US Open men's final, I saw something I had never seen before.
When Okay is Enough
In the Age of AI, the Bamboo Farmer Still Wins
Be an Encourager: The Bamboo Farmer's Secret
Every bamboo farmer knows that growing a dream takes courage, patience, and persistence.
But even the bravest farmer feels doubt when watering day after day, year after year, with no green shoot in sight.
That is when encouragement becomes essential.
Encouragement is the quiet thing that keeps a person watering. Without it, even the most determined farmer can lose heart. With it, ordinary people do extraordinary things.
Change Is Messy (and That's a Good Thing)
We love the idea of change. The new beginning. The fresh start. The bold goal that we mention to a friend over coffee.
What we don't love is what comes next.
The middle. The part where the excitement fades, and the real work begins. The part where we feel slow, tired, and unsure if we are getting anywhere. Most people quietly walk away in the middle, often confusing discomfort with failure and turning back just before things start to work.
The Bamboo Farmer Is Delusional
At first glance, the Bamboo Farmer's mindset looks a little delusional.
Who waters day after day, year after year, without any visible sign of growth? Who keeps believing in something invisible? Who works for years with no proof that the effort will ever pay off?
A Bamboo Farmer does. And that's exactly what makes them worth paying attention to.
The Pink Elephant Problem
Try this experiment.
Don't think about a pink elephant.
For just a moment, try really hard not to picture one.
What happened?
Most likely, a bright pink elephant marched right into your mind. That's because the brain doesn't process the word "don't" the way we expect it to. The mind has to imagine something before it can attempt to reject it. Your brain hears the image before it hears the instruction.
Growth Has a Rhythm. Are You Following It?
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.
Growing Confidence, One Bucket at a Time
The farmer never doubts the unseen process. They don't quit because the results are hidden. They take the long view, trusting that consistent effort compounds into remarkable growth.
Success isn't built in a day. It's built daily. Keep watering. Keep prioritizing. Keep holding the long-term view. Your bamboo breakthrough will come.
How to Think Like a Bamboo Farmer
Most people overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can do in a decade.
Bamboo farmers understand this better than anyone.
When bamboo is planted, nothing visible happens for years. The farmer waters the soil, pulls weeds, and tends the field with no outward sign of progress. No shoots. No proof. Just steady, patient work.
A Bamboo Farmer Takes Responsibility
A bamboo farmer does not wait for perfect weather, better tools, or ideal conditions.
They water daily.
No excuses. No shortcuts. No outsourcing the work.
Leadership works the same way. Like the farmer, growth in leadership starts not when circumstances improve but when responsibility is claimed.
Leaders often blame external factors, but bamboo grows not because conditions are ideal, but because it is watered daily.
Leading in a Crisis Part IV: 10 Principles for Leaders
Bamboo Farmers: Know These 5 Truths About Pre-Forgiveness
Bamboo farmers know that energy is precious, and every drop of water matters. If you waste water on weeds, your bamboo suffers. The same is true for leaders and teams. When energy is spent on grudges, resentments, or old conflicts, less is left to nurture what truly matters: your goals, your people, and your growth.
The Prize is in the Process
We live in a culture that worships the finish line.
Numbers. Trophies. Milestones.
But here’s the truth: growth doesn’t happen in the spotlight moment. It happens in the shadows. The real prize isn’t in crossing the line. The real prize is becoming the kind of person who shows up, day after day, watering your bamboo even when nothing seems to grow.
Celebrate “Quitter’s Day” with a Restart
The Daily Disciplines of a Bamboo Farmer
Have you ever wondered what truly drives extraordinary growth and success? It's not a secret formula or a stroke of luck—it's the power of daily discipline. Like a bamboo farmer who waters the seed diligently without seeing immediate results, consistent, everyday actions lead to remarkable transformations.
Mastering the 80/20 Rule for Bamboo Growth and Life Balance
What if I told you that focusing on just 20% of your efforts could lead to 80% of your desired results? Imagine discovering a secret that not only simplifies your life but also accelerates your personal and professional growth. Today, I'd like to introduce you to a powerful principle that can revolutionize how you nurture your potential and achieve your goals: the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule.
The Power of Servant Leadership: Lessons from the Bamboo Farmer
As a leader, you're likely facing more challenges than ever before. Between the rapid pace of technological change and shifting expectations in the workplace, leading a team today can feel like playing chess and checkers simultaneously. Each piece wants fair treatment, but every individual needs something unique from you. That's where servant leadership comes into play—a timeless concept that offers a powerful way to navigate modern leadership challenges.
7 Tips to Embrace the Messiness
One of the concepts I'm passionate about is helping individuals and leaders manage their chaos and pain as they strive to water their bamboo. When it comes to change, things can get messy. I often say, "It's messy in the garden," and this idea perfectly encapsulates the process of planting and nurturing our dreams--but there will be weeds and dirt along the way we need to address.