In Ted Lasso, Coach Beard (the best character, fight me đ) drops this wisdom:
âYou know, we used to believe that trees competed with each other for light. Suzanne Simardâs field work challenged that perception, and we now realize that the forest is a socialist community. Trees work in harmony to share the sunlight.â
I canât stop thinking about this. Trees donât fight over sunlight. They share it. They help each other grow. Even when there is minimal resources.
Iâve been a mentor for most of my career. Even during times when I probably should have been âfocusing on myself.â
My philosophy is simple:
When you help someone, really help them, they feel it. They feel valued. And people who feel valued want to give back. Sometimes thatâs friendship. Sometimes itâs having your back when things get tough.
It also changes how people see you. Theyâre not just happy to work with youâthey actively support your ideas. They fight for the same things you fight for. Not because you asked them to, but because thatâs what happens when you invest in people.
Iâve watched others do the opposite. They guard their knowledge like itâs gold. They gatekeep. And you know what happens? People resent them. Everyoneâs on edge. Nobody trusts anyone.
Knowledge hoarding is a losing game. It creates small kingdoms ruled by fear, where innovation dies and people leave. The hoarders think theyâre protecting their value, but theyâre actually challenging it. Your value isnât tied to exclusive knowledge!Â
Knowledge grows through exchange, through challenge, through teaching someone else and realizing you understand it better yourself.
If trees are helping growing each other. Human should do better..