Just imagine a vibrant rainforest. Each tree interlaced with vines, animals scurrying from branch to branch, and the ceaseless hum of life coexisting and working together. It's a marvel of interconnectivity Every creature and organism has its role, it's purpose, and together they thrive. Now let's take a step outta that environment and think about our own organizations, our own businesses, how we turn up, what if we approached leadership, our founding, and the way that we exist with other people in the same way of balance and trust as the rainforest ecosystem. It's interesting. And that's what we're gonna spend today, just exploring. So welcome to today's episode of MyLunchTable, a place where we'll explore some topical things, Going through my mind and I want to share with you. today we're going to explore the powerful interconnection between nature and leading responsibly in this modern world. I'm Simon Hague, and today we are diving into this subject we'll uncover how trust builds the foundations for effective leadership. Learn strategies inspired by nature to foster collaboration and explore practical ways to create psychological safety in our teams. Let's start with a simple question. What can ecosystems really teach us about leadership? The answer is everything. Just as ecosystems thrive on diversity, adaptability, and collaboration, effective leadership relies on the same principles. So let's first look at interconnectedness and collaboration in nature. Interconnectedness is key. Take a coral reef, for example. Coral relies on algae for energy. Algae thrives on the coral structure, and together they support an entire marine ecosystem. Similarly, as leaders, we succeed when we build a culture of collaboration. This means respecting the unique strengths of each individual member and encouraging them to contribute a diverse, inclusive environment. Much like Nature's Ecosystem supports resilience and innovation. I remember a few years ago I founded a business called Think, share, create with a good friend, and the whole business was set up on the premise of the question, what, if anything was possible? What if anything could be achieved? And that really did open some ideas for people to take previously thought through ideas to the next level. So the next area to think about is transparency and feedback loops. In ecosystems, feedback loops. Maintain the balance. Think of predators and praise regulating population size in organizations too. On this feedback fosters trust. Leaders should create the space for open dialogue. just as mentioned in the last podcast with some of the work that Patrick Lencioni did, looking at team dynamics, we should create an environment where our team members feel they can have that open dialogue. They can challenge some of our thinking and be heard in a way that we can then change approach if we need to. So we can value them both as a team member, as a collaborator, and support them in their own personal growth. It's about being transparent and making the process a real collaborative one. So the next area is about adaptability and leadership. seasons change. We move from winter to spring to summer to fall. And as we go into fall, we see the leaves falling off the trees. just as the ecosystems shift, every organism has to adapt to survive. A good leader does the same adjusting strategies in response to challenges and staying flexible in unpredictable environments. this not only bolsters trust within the organization, but also organizational resilience. if we think back to what we were talking about last time about building ethical frameworks for decision making, and you can access that through my lunch table.com/podcast/one. We were talking about framework which allowed us to take ethical decisions, which were transparent to the people around us. building trust isn't just about being nice. It's about creating an unshakeable foundation for your team. trust enables freedom freedom to take creative risk. Freedom to fail and freedom to innovate are truly inspirational within an organization, trust acts as a glue of any high performance team. Without it, creativity really suffers. Communication breaks down and growth stagnates. But with trust, we unlock full potential. We build resilience through trust, which means we can demonstrate honesty, integrity, and fairness, not just when it's easy, but especially when it's tough. So here are four things to think about when you are building trust. One is be authentic. Start by sharing maybe your own experiences, your triumphs, or even your failures. It's not only humanizes you, but also invites others to be real and open with you. Follow through on what you say and do what you say. Reliability breeds trust quickly in any environment. The third area is about establishing equity. We need to ensure that everybody's voice is heard and carries an equal weight in our team. From creating growth opportunities to respecting diverse perspectives, equity fosters trust and inclusivity finally, let's think about empathy. Imagine watching your team face challenges, but encouraging vulnerability rather than perfection. this mirrors nature's resilience, thriving, not despite challenges, but because of them. Lastly, let's talk about psychological safety. The cornerstone of trust. Picture a flock of birds in flight. Every twist and turn is perfectly synchronized. Why? Because each bird trusts the others to stay on course without hesitation. That's psychological safety in motion. We see it when we look at cyclists out on the road, cycling in large groups. They cycle as a peloton. They cycle close together and they work with each other to ensure that if there is an obstacle coming up, they can take avoiding action. in a team, psychological safety means every member feels safe to express ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of judgment. When this safety does exist, trust flourishes and so does creativity. So how can we do that? We can encourage dialogue. We can put a blackboard on our wall and invite people to put comments. We can open the floor for our team to share things freely and listen. With full active listening skills, you can model receptive leadership, show vulnerability, admit when you don't have all the answers. Admit when you need help, and build a team around you of people who will encourage and help you. This invites honesty from others and strengthens their confidence in you. The third area, Foster shared accountability. Make it clear that every member plays a role in building trust and maintaining a positive dynamic. The team thrives when everyone contributes. remember, psychological safety isn't just about shielding your team, it's about inspiring them too. inspiring them to embrace challenges, knowing they have a strong safety net under them. as we wrap up today's episode, let's revisit our key takeaways. Leadership should echo the principles of nature, interconnectedness, resilience, and adaptability. We build trust by being authentic, reliable, and empathetic, and ultimately, psychological safety unlocks the creativity of teams. So here's a challenge for you this week. Reflect on your leadership style, how you turn up as a founder, how you turn up as a manager. How you turn up as a family member? Are you fostering trust as strongly as nature fosters balance? How can you integrate these lessons into your leadership? please feel free to email me. it's hello at. My lunch table do Code uk and we'll make sure in the show notes that we include that link. But it'd be great to understand where you've taken your thinking through to and until next time, Stay focused on what you're trying to deliver and stay ethical with what you're trying to do. Until next time, take a cue from nature and lead responsibly.