Be the Willow Tree

Julie Zhuo thinks about the willow tree constantly. It can survive storms, disasters, hurricanes. But it's not because it's rigid and unyielding - it's because the branches are incredibly flexible. The flexibility is what makes it sturdy.

This is the modern manager's challenge: be steady while being flexible. Give your team stability while adapting to constant change.

It's also the modern parent's challenge.

Your child needs you to be steady. Consistent. Predictable. A reliable anchor in a confusing world. But they also need you to be flexible - to adapt when plans fall apart, to roll with the unexpected tantrum, to bend when circumstances change.

Rigid parents break. They're so committed to The Schedule or The Rules that any disruption triggers stress. Chaos-as-default parents are exhausting. No anchor, no predictability, everything's negotiable.

The willow tree does both. Deep roots (your values, your love, your presence) and flexible branches (your tactics, your timing, your reactions).

When the storm comes - and it will come - you don't need to be unmovable. You need to bend without breaking. That's what sturdy actually looks like.