There’s something I’m seeing more and more across leadership teams right now.

Leaders are being asked to operate at an even higher level than ever before, often with fewer resources while navigating constant change, and teams that are also feeling stretched.

And leaders are asking themselves, ‘How do I sustain this?’

Recently, I had the opportunity to keynote speak about Leadership Resilience and Navigating Change for a group of senior HR leaders at Co-operators.

What stood out wasn’t just the conversation—it was the willingness in the room to pause, reflect, and talk honestly about pressure, burnout, and what it really takes to lead in today’s environment.

There’s something interesting about this tree.

For some people, when they see it, they may think it’s dead. Irrelevant. Broken. On the verge of dying. That it no longer serves a purpose… and maybe should be cut down.

I’m no arborist. But when I look at it, through my lens as a resilience expert, I see something very different. I see something that has endured something incredibly challenging—something strong enough to force it to bend.

I see adaptation. I see a new purpose. Maybe it now offers shelter in a different way. Maybe it creates refuge for animals that wouldn’t have found it before. It’s still growing. Still blossoming. Leaves are still coming in. It’s still thriving—just in a different way.

And it got me thinking about the journey so many leaders are on right now. Trying to find their relevance. Carving a new, meaningful path within their current roles. Or quietly asking themselves… what could my next chapter look like?