From Seed to Crown: Rethinking Growth in Business and Education

In business and education, the tree analogy is often used to depict the growth of a project or process.

It’s a familiar narrative: the roots provide a sturdy foundation, supporting the tree as it reaches skyward. Diagrams and discussions abound, offering guidance on nurturing the ideal environment for an organization or company to flourish — all modelled after the structure of a tree.

Rethinking the Analogy

However, as someone with an Indigenous background, I approach this analogy with a degree of skepticism.

My reservation lies not in the use of the tree itself, but in what’s frequently omitted from the narrative — the seed.

This analogy typically commences with the roots, neglecting the seed’s pivotal role in initiating growth. There can be no growth without a seed and the right conditions for it to germinate.

Ingrained in me by my grandparents and parents, this lesson underscores the seed as the essence of knowledge — there’s no knowledge to cultivate absent the seed.

The Overlooked Beginning

The omission of the seed’s fundamental contribution to idea generation and thought expansion is striking during presentations that leverage the tree analogy to illustrate project or process development.

Such discussions often elevate the tree’s trunk to a pedestal, viewing it as the mainstay of productivity. Yet, the trunk embodies more than stability; it is a guardian of time and a protector of a collaborative knowledge system, lending strength and vitality to endeavours.

From Roots to Crown

While the crown, with its expansive network of leaves and branches, is celebrated as the zenith of achievement, this perspective inadvertently sidelines the seed’s critical inception.

Without acknowledging the seed’s role, the analogy misses depicting a comprehensive growth cycle.

The crown’s significance in demonstrating the scope and direction of growth is undeniable. Each leaf symbolizes a unique idea or interest, and the branches represent the expansion of these concepts.

This collective forms a detailed consciousness framework for understanding how growth, rooted in a seed of knowledge, evolves through each stage of development.

Honouring the Whole Cycle

The next time you reach for the tree analogy to illuminate the progression of a project or process — whether in a corporate boardroom or a classroom setting — remember to start with the seed.

It is the genesis of all ideas, the foundation upon which the conceptual tree stands. Without it, the analogy loses its grounding and the intent it seeks to convey.

By embracing the entire cycle — from seed to crown — we can foster a deeper appreciation for the intricate process of growth and development.

Blog by Rye Karonhiowanen Barberstock