On a morning walk past a golf course, I noticed that hole number one was being aerated. A groundskeeper was moving a heavy machine across the green, unplugging what looked like a perfectly healthy surface, which was ready for the first golfer of the season. 

This was a jarring sight because, from a distance, it seemed like overkill. My initial response was that the green was being damaged and maybe even ruined for the season.

I thought, “Why disrupt something that appears to be just fine?”

I put my naivety aside and remembered that this is the process highly skilled groundskeepers follow every season:

Aerate by unplugging → Fill the holes with a sandy mixture → Water 

All of it is intentional so that nutrients, soil, and grass can grow deeper. This ultimately prepares the green for a long, beautiful season of golf through the spring, summer, fall, and sometimes even winter.

What initially looked like “too much” was actually exactly what was needed.

A couple of weeks later, I walked past the same patch of grass, and the holes were starting to fill in with new growth.

Lesson Learned

The experts understand something that we often forget…Sustainable growth requires planned processes for renewal.

We can be quick to judge something as excessive or unnecessary, especially when we do not fully understand the process. But sometimes, what looks like damage is actually preparation. It is a readiness and necessary step so that roots can grow deeper and stronger over time. This does not mean that it is easy or desired. 

With the right care and attention, in a few weeks, that green will be whole again. It will not be the same, but it will be whole. It will be healthy and ready to be played on and enjoyed by many…ready to withstand the harsh Colorado weather conditions.

What I almost missed in that first moment is that the process is not about destruction. It is about strengthening the foundation so that the system can perform at its best.

Without it, disease can take hold and brown spots begin to creep in.
The ground can become stagnant, unable to sustain what it was meant to support.

This is what leaders and organizations experience. This is life as we know it.

Sometimes we have to disrupt what looks “fine” in order to become what is truly strong. Sometimes this happens by design, and sometimes it happens unexpectedly.

In the end, it is always about how we respond versus how we react.

Reflections for Moving Forward

There are so many questions that come to mind each time I walk past that beautiful green. These are also questions leaders might ask as they navigate a new season:

• Where in my leadership or organization is “aeration” needed to ensure long-term health and growth?
• What does patience look like in this season of regrowth for me and for those I lead?
• Where might I be misinterpreting necessary, temporary disruption as permanent damage?
• How am I balancing the urgency of change with the humanity of those experiencing it?

And maybe that is the work…Having the courage to trust the process, tend the roots, and nurture the regrowth, even before the green looks whole again.