Now, bring your attention to the threads.
In the art of weaving, there are two kinds of threads. First, there are the *warp* threads. These are the strong, constant threads that are stretched vertically on the loom. They are the foundation of the fabric, established from the outset. They represent the knowns: the mission of your team, your shared values, the core principles that hold you all together.
Bring these to mind. What are the foundational truths of your work? What is the unwavering purpose that runs through everything you do? See these strong, steady warp threads stretched upon your loom.
Then, there are the *weft* threads. These are the threads that are woven through the warp, back and forth, over and under. The weft threads are fluid, flexible, variable. They carry the color, the texture, the uniqueness. They are what create the visible pattern.
These are the people you lead.
Think of them now, one by one. Each person is a different thread. See their unique color, their texture. One might be a thread of brilliant silk—sharp, analytical, precise. Another might be a thick, warm wool—bringing comfort, stability, and empathy. Another still is like raw linen—full of earthy creativity and unexpected ideas.
Your role is not to be the most brilliant thread. Your role is not to spin the yarn or dye the wool. Your role is to see the thread for what it is. To know its strength, its character, its feel in your hands.
Do not rush this. See each person. See the gifts they bring. The visible talents and the hidden strengths. These are your weft threads, waiting to be woven.
The Pattern
The common mistake is to focus only on the threads. To manage the performance of each individual strand, polishing one here, correcting one there.
But the weaver’s mind is different. The weaver’s mind lifts its gaze from the individual threads… and looks for the emerging pattern.
Your focus is not the single thread, but the relationship *between* the threads. How does the silk thread challenge the wool? How does the linen thread bring out a new color in the silk? Where do they cross? Where do they support each other? This is the work of systems thinking—to see the whole, the connections, the story that is being told.
This is where your genius lies. Not in having all the answers, but in seeing how the answers fit together.
Step back from your loom. From this new perspective, what do you see? You are not just managing people. You are weaving a fabric. You are guiding the creation of a pattern that no single thread could create on its own. The whole is different, and greater, than the sum of its parts.
This is a patient art. It requires you to hold back. To let the threads interact. To see what wants to emerge. It requires you to trust that the pattern is there, even before you can fully see it. You are not a micromanager, obsessing over every knot. You are a weaver, with a quiet confidence in the integrity of the whole.
The Fabric
Now, feel the fabric that is being created.
It is not a perfect fabric. Here and there, a thread may have broken. In one section, the colors might clash. In another, the tension might be uneven. This is the reality of all human endeavor. It is real. It is authentic.
But feel its strength. Feel the integrity that comes from so many different strands woven together. This fabric can hold things. It can provide warmth. It can be beautiful, not in spite of its imperfections, but because of them.
This is the result of your leadership. This fabric is the culture you have built. It is the trust, the shared success, the collective resilience. It is a tangible thing.
As a leader, you are not just directing tasks. You are weaving a community. You are creating a small piece of the social fabric.
Take one final moment. Hold this feeling of the finished fabric in your mind’s eye. This is the work. It is slow. It is patient. It is profound.
And now, when you are ready, you can let the image of the loom fade. Bring your awareness back to your breath. Back to the room you are in.
Carry the mind of the weaver with you. Don’t just see the threads. See the pattern. Feel the fabric. And know that your most important work is to weave.