Why I Water My Neighbor’s Lawn: Leadership, Ecosystems, and the Edges of Influence
(Note: This article is co-written by Jordan Ellis and Mitch Sowards and is an extracted and expanded version of a topic further explored in our forthcoming book.)
The sun is low, the hose is in my hand, and I’m watering a strip of grass that technically doesn’t belong to me.
It’s my neighbor’s lawn, just a few feet past the edge of mine. But over time I’ve noticed something: if their grass goes dry, my edge begins to fray. So, I give their lawn a little water. Just enough. Not because I’m being neighborly (though I hope I am), but because the health of their yard affects the health of mine.
That insight isn’t just botanical. It’s organizational.
Defining the Leadership Ecosystem
In our upcoming book, Quiet Power: Leading Everyone, Everywhere, All At Once, we talk about leadership as ecosystem stewardship. That means your job as a leader isn't just to "manage people" or "hit targets." Your job is to shape the conditions in which people grow.
And ecosystems are complex. Some individuals (like drought-resistant plants) need minimal intervention. Others (like new transplants) need frequent, hands-on care until their roots take hold. Some teams have deep roots, others are wide but shallow and dry out quickly. And no living thing thrives on once-a-year attention.
But here’s the kicker: ecosystems don’t stop at your org chart.
The Edge Effect: How External Neglect Becomes Internal Decay
Back to the lawn. If your neighbor stops watering entirely, your lawn’s edges feel it first. The soil dries out. Roots retreat. Eventually the health of your core suffers.
In leadership, this happens when we ignore the "edges" of our organizations. Maybe it’s another department you don’t interact with. Maybe it’s the culture just outside your immediate team. Maybe it’s a junior staffer you don’t manage directly, but whose well-being affects morale.
Healthy organizations are not fortresses. They are fields. And if the field next to yours goes barren, you’ll feel it sooner than you think.
The Myth of One-Size-Fits-All Mentorship
Too often, leaders assume their job is to "water evenly" or treat every direct report the same. But just like in a real garden, leadership calls for adaptive care.
A junior hire might need weekly check-ins and step-by-step guidance.
A seasoned contributor might need monthly strategy huddles and the freedom to roam.
A high performer with shallow roots might need subtle but frequent nudges to stay nourished.
Uniformity isn’t fairness. Attentiveness is.
Mentorship, coaching, culture-shaping—these aren’t acts of standardization. They’re acts of cultivation. And cultivation means getting your hands dirty, adjusting your methods, and looking beyond what’s immediately visible.
Dust Bowl Wisdom: Why Neighboring Health Matters
During America’s Dust Bowl in the 1930s, farmland across the plains turned to powder. Wind swept away topsoil by the ton. But one of the key recovery strategies was surprisingly simple: plant rows of trees as windbreaks.
These weren’t just personal trees. They were shared, neighborly fences of life. Grown to protect the land not just on your plot, but the one next door.
Today’s leadership lesson is the same. If you want your team to thrive, help prevent desertification next door. Coach that struggling peer leader. Share resources across silos. Offer mentorship to someone you don’t "own."
Because deserts spread. And the smallest acts of care at the edge might be what saves your center.
Reflect & Act
If you're leading in any capacity—especially in MSPs or small growing teams—try this:
Do a root check: Who in your orbit feels under-watered? Who's thriving only because they’re hardy?
Water sideways: What small gesture could you offer to someone outside your direct line? A check-in, an invitation, a shared resource?
Build your windbreak: What structures can you plant today to shield your ecosystem tomorrow?
Leadership isn't about owning everything. It's about tending wisely to what you've been given—and recognizing that your influence goes further than your title.
So yes, I water my neighbor’s lawn. Not because I have to. But because I know what happens when I don’t.
Jordan Ellis is a leadership advisor to MSP owners and tech-driven teams across the U.S. In his forthcoming book with Mitch Sowards, "Quiet Power: Leading Everyone, Everywhere, All At Once" they explore how calm leaders create high-impact organizations.