Sequoias are the world's most ancient trees on records. The world's largest tree is called the General Sherman, which still stands in Sierra Nevada. It is as tall as a 27-storey building, with its first branch starting at the 13th floor. If placed in the middle of a California freeway, it will fill all three 12-feet wide lanes! The largest of the species is the Giant Sequoia which can live up to 3000 years old, and can be as tall as 300 feet, with a base diameter of up to 35 feet. The common name for another type of sequoias, the Red Woods, still stand today in several National Parks in California, conserved and protected as legacies and living witnesses of worlds gone by.


Scientists who first studied these living legends discovered that Sequoias have roots that are surprisingly shallow - the adult Giant Sequoia has roots that are only about five to six feet deep. The curious question is of course how is it that such massive trees manage to hold themselves up with such shallow roots? The answer they found was striking - because the Sequoias have roots that reached out underground and connected with the roots of other Sequoias, they provided the support for one another as they grew!

In her quiet way, Mother Nature seemed to be asking us these questions: In what ways might we be like (or not like) Sequoias? Do we provide support for one another like these Sequoia trees? Are our connections grounded by the same values and beliefs?


Here's another twist to the story:
As we shared this, a friend from California who lives near the red woods told us that even when the mother Sequoia eventually dies, her roots continue to provide support to other baby Sequoias growing around her. The young trees also depended on the mother tree for support and nourishment supplied through its tap roots.

What legacy do we leave behind, when we eventually leave a place? And does what we leave behind continue to provide support for others? Have the people become stronger, wiser, and better off than we were, because we were there with them before?

In some ways this is nature's reminder of the work we do - whether as leaders, managers, employees or consultants, to help develop better workplaces - or what we call the work of OD (Organisation Development). Fundamentally it is really about helping people find the meaning, values and passion for their work - their “roots” so to speak. Perhaps it is also a gentle reminder by nature on the importance of humility - we're never too big to reach out and ask for help, to depend on one another for our growth. After all, in life's journey, we stand taller together!