Around ten years ago, I discovered trail and trekking races. I don’t even need to say how “thrilled” my children were. For a while, my Saturdays were spent running through mountains and hills nearby, and I would come home completely covered in mud. When I arrived, they wouldn’t let me inside until I stripped everything off at the door and carried it straight to the bathroom. The kids were laughing, shaking their heads because I was 'clearly not normal', but I could see they were happy for me, enjoying the fact that I had returned so completely soaked and full of life. For my birthday, they even got me a Garmin watch so they could track me in case I got lost.
And that saying that mud is healing? I fully agree. There wasn’t a puddle I didn’t step into. The best part of it all is being surrounded by people just like you, people who simply enjoy it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going through a midlife crisis. I’m just reliving my twenties, the ones I skipped because of all the responsibilities I had after my husband passed away. And with three children, life is never boring. Now they’re grown, and I’m finally trying all the things I didn’t get to before and simply - it feels good. Of course, there are difficult and painful moments, but I accept them as part of life. I always try to take something good from them.
All of you who have ever run or walked downhill, down a mountain or any muddy slope, know what it feels like to have unstable ground beneath your feet.
And just like on the trail, it’s the same in business, everything starts with the ground beneath your feet.
Earth is the foundation of every organization. With it, ideas stop being just ideas and become reality. People with balanced “earth energy” are a true asset, they are the ones who hold the system together.
Today, observing companies, I often see two extremes. Where there is too much earth, you’ll often hear: “This is how we’ve always done it.” Rigidity becomes the norm, and resistance to change is obvious. Their roots don’t allow growth, they keep everything in place. From the outside, these companies look stable, but inside they are wrapped in stagnation.
On the other hand, where there is too little earth, there is no organization, no structure, only constant chaos, the famous “five to twelve.” Everything is urgent, everything is important, decisions change ad hoc, and there are no clear processes or responsibilities. These companies are constantly “floating,” but never quite landing or delivering results.
And that brings me back to my muddy downhill runs.
Running down a mountain taught me one essential lesson: the ground doesn’t have to be perfectly flat to be safe. Safety doesn’t come from concrete, it comes from your ability to feel the surface and adjust your step.
In business, “Earth” is not rigidity. It is trust in a structure that allows you to move quickly. Good organization is not a cage; it is a steady trail that protects your ankles while you run toward your goal.
Today, as I clean the mud off that Garmin, I don’t just see dirt. I see proof that I was out there, in the field, connected to reality. Because business, just like trail running, isn’t done in the clouds. It’s done with your feet firmly on the ground, with enough courage to get your hands (and shoes) dirty to build something that truly stands.
Maybe my kids still think I’m “not normal,” but at least I know where I stand.
Do you even know what your ground looks like, or did you stop paying attention to where you step along the way?
*Next: Fire – ambition, ego, and the lesson of the Vasa ship.
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