09/23/2026
Every fall in Tahoe, the aspens put on a show. But lately, I’ve been thinking about what happens after the color is gone.
When an aspen loses its leaves, the tree doesn’t stop working. Living tissue beneath its pale bark contains chlorophyll and can still use sunlight—helping the stem recapture some of the carbon it would otherwise lose through respiration.
I keep coming back to that as a leadership lesson.
We usually recognize growth by what we can see: the promotion, the new strategy, the successful quarter, the team hitting its goals.
Then the season changes.
A key person leaves. A plan stops working. Resources tighten. Momentum slows.
In those moments, the question may not be, “How do we keep all the leaves?”
It may be: What have we built beneath the surface?
The practices that help us stay present. The trust that makes honesty possible. The relationships that can hold tension. The systems that keep supporting people when conditions are no longer ideal.
I’m learning that culture is not only what a team says it values. It’s what the team has practiced long enough that it remains available under pressure.
The aspens remind me that when visible growth slows, the deeper work may still be happening.
As the season changes, what are you building that will still be there when it changes again?
— Charlie