The Art of Timing: Lessons from the Allotment for Women Leaders

It’s already mid-April, and I find myself in a familiar predicament at the allotment. I know exactly what needs to be done—seeds that should have been sown in February and March now need potting on, potatoes should be in the ground now that the risk of frost has passed. Yet once again, I’m behind.

There are still so many seeds waiting to be sown in our greenhouse—ones I should have planted a month ago. The potatoes are finally in the ground, but there’s an overwhelming amount of preparation still needed for the other beds. And those weeds! Give them a few days of warm spring sunshine, and they’re flourishing while my vegetables wait patiently in their seed packets.

I find myself coming from behind, playing catch up, trying to salvage a situation that has somehow slipped through my fingers. This feeling is all too familiar, and I suspect many of you experience it too—not necessarily with gardening, but with important initiatives in your leadership journey.

Why does this happen? Am I juggling too many responsibilities? Certainly. Am I ignoring the urgent while focusing on the seemingly important? Perhaps. Am I secretly hoping things will magically sort themselves out without my intervention? There’s probably some truth there. But it’s definitely not that I don’t care enough, though my actions might suggest otherwise.

The reality is that certain endeavours, like gardening and leadership, are inherently time-dependent. There is a natural rhythm—a time to sow ideas, a time to nurture projects, a time to harvest results, and a time to preserve those gains for leaner periods. When we miss these crucial windows, we find ourselves struggling to catch up, often with diminished returns.

This pattern made me reflect on how timing impacts our effectiveness as leaders. When we postpone that difficult conversation, delay implementing that innovative idea, or put off investing in our own development, we’re essentially missing our optimal planting window. We can still take action later, but the yield may not be as abundant.

I frequently see this with the women leaders I work with. Under the weight of incessant pressure on their time and energy, navigating uncertainties and fighting distractions, they often postpone what matters most to them. Their thought leadership remains undeveloped, their unique impact unmade—not because they lack capability, but because they missed that crucial moment to take action on it.

The truth is, timing matters; it matters a lot. The seeds of great leadership—whether they’re innovative ideas, crucial relationships, or personal development—need to be planted at the right time and nurtured consistently. When we repeatedly miss these windows of opportunity, our potential harvest diminishes.

What I’ve learned from both my gardening struggles and my work with women leaders is that we need to recognise and honour these critical timing windows. This means creating systems that help us remember and prioritise time-sensitive actions, developing the courage to act when it’s time (not when it feels comfortable), and cultivating an awareness of the natural rhythms in our professional landscapes.

So today, as I finally tend to those long-delayed seeds, I’m recommitting to respecting the power of timing in all areas of my life. I invite you to join me in this reflection: Where in your leadership journey are you ignoring the importance of timing? What seeds need planting now, not later? What weeds need rooting out before they overtake your garden?