Bamboo Leadership in Typhoon Times
What can we learn about leadership from this seemingly fragile tree that withstands the fiercest typhoons?
I’m just back from 10 days in Vietnam, where 17 adventurous women gathered for Sidecar Summit Vietnam 2024. Summiteers came from Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan, Cambodia and India to explore the intersection of women and power and implications for leadership.
The circumstances leading up to the Summit couldn’t have been more apt for the topic. Typhoon Yagi made its out-of-season appearance in Northern Vietnam just two days before we gathered, causing havoc in many communities and adding an extra layer of adventure to people’s travel plans. The level of destruction was mitigated by the resourcefulness and agility of the Vietnamese people, who, as it turns out, have many things in common with bamboo (about more below), which is ubiquitous throughout the country, both in its raw ‘tree’ form and in its many applications. What a great metaphor for leading in increasingly uncertain times.
A glance at a bamboo tree might suggest fragility. They are slender and sway easily in the wind. Make no mistake: this exterior belies fundamental attributes of the bamboo that make it one of the most powerful plants on earth. It is stronger than steel (in tensile strength, or the maximum stress a material can bear before breaking). It is more durable than most woods. It is more sustainable than concrete or brick. It can outlast typhoons due to its deep root system, so that it sways and bends in the wind rather than breaks. It has many applications: shelter, furniture, medicine, food, clothing, fuel, carbon sequestration. Perhaps my two favorite takeaways about bamboo: it generally grows in clusters, each tree connected to and reinforcing the others. And – it gets better looking with age. (!)
Strong roots. Solid core. Flexible branches.
As in bamboo, so in the Vietnamese, who are strongly rooted in their culture (which has its roots in matriarchy!), have proven to be flexible and adaptable, and find strength and vitality in their reliance on one another that has helped them thrive amidst natural and human adversity.
What a great model for a different approach to leadership.
Summiteers discussed the still-too-pervasive view of leadership, a hierarchical model reliant on command and control, competition, individualism, denial of vulnerability, one- size-fits-all. This is not serving our leaders or communities well, if it ever did. What about a bamboo approach to leadership? One rooted firmly in, yes, the individual’s core attributes and how they can best serve the community, though also in a relational approach to leading that community. One that values empathy, vulnerability, collaboration and communication. One that encourages exploration and experimentation. One that ultimately finds its greatest strength in the very community it serves, which serves particularly well when the external climate gets harsh. That’s why bamboo can withstand typhoon.
When school leaders can show up as their core selves, have the support to draw on and express their leadership strengths, are surrounded by others with complementary attributes and skills – and who aren’t afraid of being contrarian if it serves the greater good, are part of a culture that nurtures exploration, communication, open-hearted sharing and respect among all community members, are valued appropriately in terms of compensation and time to nurture their own well-being …. well, they and the bamboo clusters they lead can thrive.
This is not a female approach to leadership, per se. This is a bamboo approach to leadership. Given the increasing frequency and magnitude of metaphorical typhoons affecting our school communities, it’s one well worth exploring further.
Happy to share further thoughts on bamboo leadership and other lessons learned from the power-full summiteers who braved typhoons to participate in Sidecar Summit Vietnam. Invite me to jump in your sidecar!
Speaking of sidecars …. I rode in one for the *first time ever* in Hoi An, Vietnam. It’s more thrilling and scary than I’d ever realized. And I have renewed respect for the drivers of these contraptions, especially on adventurous roads. Reinforced how apt my coaching metaphor is. 😊
As your coach, I'm always 'on your side,' on the straightaways, through muddy patches, and in typhoons.
Yours in ‘being the bamboo’ in typhoon times,
Bridget
