30/04/2026
Today I was fortunate to travel through the beautiful, pristine Milford Sound. I flew over snow tipped mountains and cruised through the pure clean water, surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Fjordlands National Park. I noticed some clear areas on some of the mountains and the guide told us that given the sheer slope of the mountains, there is no top soil. Lichen and moss cover the mountains and trees interweave their roots with the lichen and moss and as more trees grow, they interlink their roots to sustain them all. None can survive without another. But, if the tree at the top falls, it gathers everything in its path and everything is destroyed, taking around 100 years to rejuvenate.
If the tree at the top falls... It got me thinking about leadership and how the person at the 'top' has so much impact on the people at the lower levels. The person at the top is no more worthy of nutrients, love, growth and connection than the people below, but if the person at the top does not value themself, does not invest in their wellbeing , how will they be able to sustain the rest of the mountainside?