Growth Requires Both Roots and Pruning

In my nine years working in rural economic development, I’ve learned that growth isn’t just about what you build, it’s also about what you nurture and what you let go. 

Lewis County, NY - home to 26,500 residents and legacy industries like agriculture, manufacturing, forestry, and small business - became my place of learning.  Working in a rural community taught me that local economies run on more than industries alone, they run on people and relationships.

Think of it like a three-legged stool: the public, the private, and the nonprofit sectors. For a community to thrive, all three legs need to work together. When governments and schools, businesses big and small, and nonprofits with missions to serve sit at the same table, that’s when community growth happens.

We always thought of this like an eco-system.  In a forest, you have the towering trees, the roots, the ground cover, and the pruning that makes space for new growth. Each species has a role to play, and a local economy is no different. When organizations (public, private and non-profit) know their strengths, and their partners’ strengths, they can grow stronger together.

That’s where organizational development comes in, and the piece of development that I became so passionate about. By helping teams and leaders clarify roles, build on strengths, and cultivate their people, we strengthen not just organizations, but whole communities.  It requires both roots to anchor you and pruning to make space for what’s next.  And that’s how communities, and organizations, truly thrive.