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Pulling the Weeds: Leadership Growth Starts with Letting Go
Jun 15, 2026by Cheryl Perkins
Summer brings a familiar rhythm for gardeners. Seeds have been planted. The soil has been prepared. Water and sunlight are doing their work.
Yet every experienced gardener understands an important truth: growth alone is not enough.
Alongside the flowers, vegetables, and fruit-bearing plants, weeds begin to emerge. Left unattended, these weeds compete for nutrients, crowd healthy growth, and eventually diminish the harvest.
Leadership development follows a remarkably similar pattern.
Most people focus on what they need to add to become better leaders. They pursue new certifications, books, skills, and opportunities. While these things are valuable, leadership maturity often requires something different.
Sometimes growth requires subtraction.
Sometimes the next level of effectiveness comes from identifying and removing the things that no longer belong.
The Holy Spirit often invites us into seasons of cultivation where the focus is not on planting new dreams but on pulling old weeds.
For those who are new to faith, think of the Holy Spirit as God's presence actively guiding, teaching, and developing us from the inside out. He helps us recognize patterns that hinder our growth and empowers us to make healthier choices.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is fruitfulness.
The Weeds Leaders Often Ignore
Weeds rarely announce themselves.
They appear small at first.
A little resentment.
A little comparison.
A little procrastination.
A little fear.
A little pride.
A little distraction.
Over time these small issues develop deeper roots.
What begins as a minor irritation can become a major obstacle.
Many leaders spend years asking God for greater influence while ignoring the attitudes that are choking the influence they already possess.
The challenge is not always a lack of opportunity.
Sometimes it is the presence of weeds.
Leadership Development Requires Regular Weeding
The most effective leaders practice intentional self-examination.
Just as gardeners routinely inspect their gardens, leaders must periodically evaluate their thoughts, habits, relationships, and motivations.
Ask yourself:
What habits are draining my energy?
What beliefs are limiting my potential?
What relationships consistently pull me away from my purpose?
What distractions are stealing my focus?
What fears are preventing me from taking the next step?
Growth accelerates when we stop managing weeds and start removing them.
The Difference Between Pruning and Weeding
An important leadership lesson is understanding the difference between pruning and weeding.
Pruning involves cutting back healthy growth to encourage greater productivity.
Weeding involves removing unhealthy growth that competes with healthy development.
God often does both.
Sometimes He asks us to reduce good activities so we can focus on great ones.
Other times He reveals unhealthy attitudes that need to be uprooted completely.
Both processes require humility.
Both require trust.
Both ultimately increase fruitfulness.
Five Leadership Weeds Worth Removing
1. Comparison
Comparison shifts your attention from your assignment to someone else's journey.
Healthy leaders celebrate others while remaining committed to their own purpose.
2. Fear of Failure
Fear often disguises itself as caution.
Many opportunities are lost because leaders wait until they feel completely ready.
Growth frequently begins before confidence arrives.
3. Unforgiveness
Unresolved hurt consumes emotional energy that could be invested elsewhere.
Forgiveness does not excuse the offense; it frees the leader.
4. Busyness
Activity and productivity are not the same.
Many leaders are exhausted because they are doing too much rather than doing what matters most.
5. Pride
Pride prevents learning.
The moment leaders believe they have nothing left to learn, growth begins to stagnate.
Cultivating a Flourishing Leadership Garden
Removing weeds creates space.
Space for wisdom.
Space for creativity.
Space for healthier relationships.
Space for spiritual growth.
Space for purpose.
The healthiest leaders understand that leadership is not merely about accomplishing more. It is about becoming more.
As the weeds are removed, the seeds God has planted begin to flourish.
Character deepens.
Influence expands.
Purpose becomes clearer.
Legacy becomes stronger.
The result is a life that bears fruit not only for personal success but for the benefit of everyone within its sphere of influence.
That is the harvest of intentional leadership cultivation.
Leadership Lessons from the Garden
Growth Often Requires Subtraction Before Addition
Many leaders spend their careers focused on acquiring more—more knowledge, more skills, more opportunities, and more responsibilities. While growth certainly involves learning and expanding, some of the most significant breakthroughs occur when leaders remove what no longer serves their purpose.
Just as a gardener removes weeds so healthy plants can thrive, leaders must identify and eliminate habits, distractions, relationships, and thought patterns that compete with their growth. Sometimes the next level of leadership is not found in what you add to your life, but in what you are willing to release.
Ask yourself:
What am I holding onto that is preventing me from becoming who I am called to be?
What activity, mindset, or commitment needs to be removed to create room for greater growth?
Self-Awareness Is Essential for Long-Term Leadership Effectiveness
Leadership begins with leading yourself.
Many leaders can identify weaknesses in a team, organization, or process but struggle to recognize blind spots within themselves. Self-awareness allows leaders to understand their strengths, limitations, motivations, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns.
Without self-awareness, leaders often repeat the same mistakes while wondering why progress remains limited.
Self-aware leaders are more adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and effective because they continuously evaluate how their actions impact others. They understand that leadership development is not a destination but an ongoing process of growth and refinement.
The healthiest leaders regularly ask:
How am I showing up?
How do others experience my leadership?
What areas still need development?
Small Issues Become Major Obstacles When Ignored
Weeds rarely become problematic overnight.
Likewise, most leadership failures begin as small, unresolved issues that are ignored over time.
A minor attitude problem becomes chronic negativity.
A small communication gap becomes organizational conflict.
A little procrastination evolves into missed opportunities.
An unresolved offense develops into bitterness.
Healthy leaders understand the importance of addressing challenges while they are still manageable. They do not wait for problems to become crises before taking action.
Leadership requires vigilance.
What you tolerate today often becomes the obstacle you face tomorrow.
Fruitful Leaders Regularly Evaluate Their Habits and Attitudes
Just as gardeners routinely inspect their gardens, leaders must periodically evaluate the condition of their inner lives.
Success can sometimes create complacency. Leaders who stop examining their habits often find themselves drifting away from the disciplines that originally produced growth.
Fruitful leaders consistently ask:
Are my habits supporting my goals?
Are my attitudes strengthening or weakening my influence?
Am I becoming the person I aspire to be?
Regular reflection creates opportunities for adjustment before significant problems develop.
Growth is rarely accidental.
It is usually the result of intentional cultivation.
Lasting Influence Grows from Healthy Internal Cultivation
In today's culture, leadership is often measured by visible accomplishments, titles, platforms, and recognition.
Yet lasting influence grows from something much deeper.
Character.
Integrity.
Wisdom.
Emotional maturity.
Authenticity.
The most impactful leaders understand that external success can only be sustained when supported by internal health.
Just as strong roots support a healthy tree, strong character supports lasting influence.
People may initially be attracted by talent, but they remain influenced by character.
What is happening inside a leader will eventually become visible on the outside.
Leadership Maturity Requires Both Courage and Humility
Leadership growth demands a delicate balance between courage and humility.
Courage gives leaders the ability to take risks, make difficult decisions, address challenges, and step into new opportunities.
Humility allows leaders to remain teachable, receive feedback, admit mistakes, and continue learning.
One without the other creates imbalance.
Courage without humility can become arrogance.
Humility without courage can become passivity.
Mature leaders possess both.
They are confident enough to lead and humble enough to learn.
The strongest leaders never stop growing because they never stop listening.
The Quality of Your Harvest Is Determined by the Condition of Your Garden
Every gardener understands a simple truth: healthy soil produces healthy plants.
Leadership follows the same principle.
The quality of your influence, relationships, decisions, and legacy is directly connected to the condition of your heart, mind, and character.
When leaders cultivate healthy habits, clear values, strong character, and emotional resilience, they create an environment where growth can flourish.
Conversely, neglected gardens produce poor harvests.
The question every leader must eventually answer is this:
What am I cultivating?
Because the harvest you experience tomorrow is often determined by the condition of the garden you are tending today.
Reflection Thought
"The harvest God wants to produce in your life often depends on what you're willing to uproot."
— Dr. Cheryl Perkins
Reflection Questions
What "weed" has the Holy Spirit been bringing to your attention recently?
Is there a habit, mindset, or relationship that is competing with your growth?
What would become possible if that obstacle were removed?
How often do you intentionally examine the condition of your inner life?
What fruit do you want to see growing in your leadership over the next season?
Scripture Focus
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for caring about the condition of our hearts. Help us become leaders who are willing to examine our lives honestly and courageously. Reveal anything that hinders the growth You desire within us. Give us the wisdom to recognize unhealthy patterns and the courage to remove them. Cultivate within us hearts that are humble, teachable, and fruitful. May our lives reflect Your character, our leadership serve others well, and our influence produce a harvest that honors You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Tagged with:Faith & Spiritual Growth
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