Beyond the Grind: How Seasons of Soul (and Parker Palmer) Transformed My Rural Community College Leadership

The writings and renewal practices created by Parker Palmer and Courage and Renewal transformed me.

As many of us in community colleges head into the holiday break, there’s a natural pull to recharge. For the first two decades of my career, my version of recharging was often just planning how to achieve more in the next cycle. I was driven, adept at "doing," and that mindset certainly opened a lot of doors and opportunities. I hit metrics, climbed ladders, and genuinely enjoyed the pursuit of success.

But beneath the surface, a different kind of toll was accumulating. It wasn't until I read Parker J. Palmer’s profound book, Let Your Life Speak, and had the opportunity to participate in the Courage to Lead seasonal program at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station on Lake Gull, MI, that I truly began to reflect on where I was actually going. I remember serving as Vice President at Mid-Plains Community College during this period, and despite external successes, I realized that my relentless pace wasn't allowing me to be the father and husband I deeply wanted to be. My leadership was effective in many ways, but it lacked a certain authenticity that comes from alignment between who you are and how you lead.

Palmer's wisdom, rooted in the natural world, revealed that my perpetual season of doing was unsustainable. We all, as leaders and human beings, move through seasons. And ignoring them comes at a cost.

The Leader's Seasons: A Quick Overview

Here’s a brief look at how Palmer's "Seasons of the Soul" apply to our work, and more importantly, to our inner lives as leaders:

• Autumn: The Grace of Letting Go. This is the season of both harvest and decay. For us, it’s the end of a big semester, a time to acknowledge our accomplishments and then, crucially, to shed what no longer serves us. What habits, meetings, or old ways of thinking need to "die back" so that new growth can emerge? This is where your "stop-doing" list begins.

  
  

• Winter: The Power of Dormancy. This is the quietest season, appearing still, but deeply preparing beneath the surface. For leaders, Winter calls for reflection, rest, and protecting our inner life. It's about recognizing that growth doesn't always look like activity. It might be a quiet afternoon for deep thought, a true disconnected holiday, or simply allowing yourself to be present with your family without the constant hum of work.

  
  

• Spring: The Messy Renewal. Spring is messy. New initiatives and fresh starts often bring excitement, but also a chaotic "muddy middle" as things grow and change. As leaders, Spring asks us to acknowledge the difficulty of new beginnings, to support our teams through the upheaval, and to trust that visible growth will eventually follow the initial disorder.

  
  

• Summer: The Abundance of Light. This is the season of outward expression, of fruitfulness and celebration. It’s when we can confidently shine a light on our graduates, team’s successes, give awards, and enjoy the results of our collective efforts. But critically, Summer is only truly abundant when it has been nourished by the other seasons.

  
  

Your Holiday Reflection: A Call to Action for 2026

As you step into this holiday season, I encourage you to see it not just as a break, but as an intentional period of Winter. Use this time to reflect on your own leadership journey. Where are you going? Are you being the leader, the spouse, the parent, the friend, the person you truly want to be?

What will you commit to letting go of as we move into the "Autumn" of the new semester, to make room for deeper, more authentic growth? What "seeds" of intention do you need to plant for yourself and your team?

Think about your "stop doing" list for 2026. What can you release to create space for genuine purpose?

To close, I offer this Leader's Benediction, which Google Gemini and I wrote together:

The Leader’s Benediction May you have the courage to honor the seasons of your own soul, knowing that you cannot lead others where you are unwilling to go yourself. May you find the grace to let go of what no longer serves the mission, the patience to trust the seeds that are currently hidden beneath the frost, and the joy to celebrate the abundance when the harvest finally arrives. Remember that you are more than the work you do—you are the heart of the culture you create.

May your holiday break be filled with restful reflection and renewed purpose.