Micah Projects & The Bunya Pine: A Tale of Shared Leadership

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to facilitate the Micah Projects whole organisation day. 

For over 25 years, Micah Projects has been working in the Brisbane community to bridge silos of care and more effectively meet the complex and interlinked challenges vulnerable people face. 

With the whole team together, we focused on strengthening social connections through purpose and values to support every individual across the entire organisation in their shared leadership of Micah Projects.

So, perhaps you're wondering...

What does the Bunya Pine have to do with Micah Projects and shared leadership?

North West of Brisbane, nestled in the hills of the Bunya Mountains, stands a Bunya Pine – a towering, cone-shaped conifer native to Southeast Queensland, known for its razor-sharp foliage and large pine nuts, a ceremonial food and bush tucker of the traditional owners on Bunya land, the Wakka Wakka, Jarowair and Barrumgum tribes.

On the surface, each Bunya Pine is a sight to behold. But beneath the forest floor lies another hidden wonder... a vast, intricate network of roots and mycorrhizal fungi binds the Bunya tree and other species together in an interconnected web.

This subterranean network facilitates the exchange of nutrients and information. It nourishes each tree and ensures resources are shared —water, nitrogen, and phosphorus flow from areas of abundance to places of need. It acts as a conduit for signals, sharing news of threats, new nutrient sources, and even news of the passing of elder trees, enabling the ecosystem to adapt to change.

The Bunya ecosystem flourishes not because of the dominance of any single tree, but because of the mutual support fostered by the unseen network beneath the forest floor, and the shared leadership of every living organism in the ecosystem. 

Much like the flourishing Bunya Pine and its interconnected ecosystem, resilience on an individual, organisational and community level also come from relationships. 

In times of great challenge and complexity, we need information to flow freely so we can move quickly. Collaboration and shared leadership enable us to tap into a rich brain's trust to problem-solve, effectively channel resources, and adapt. Our greatest potential is realised not in isolation, but in our capacity to support and uplift each other. 

This idea is at the heart of Micah Projects.

Micah Projects: Breaking down silos. Building Community. 

Micah Projects understand that a healthy community is one where foundational human rights, like justice, safety, connection are available to all. They work together with community and government services to ensure vital resources flow from places of abundance to places of need. 

In 2024, Micah's roots run deep. 

They're known as a not-for-profit having a real impact in the community; a place to find real help. 

To continue leaving a legacy of justice and equity, Micah Projects is investing in its interconnected organisational ecosystem. By regularly coming together as a whole team, and as leaders, they're strengthening their capacity for collaboration and shared leadership, united by shared purpose and values. 

This is just one piece of the great work the team are doing to thrive as a whole and maximise their impact in the community. I am so humbled to support their continued development and growth.

Find out more about Micah Projects' integrated approach.

Interested in strengthening your organisational ecosystem?

Let's sow the seeds of change. 

For over 30 years, I've used the medium of embodiment, the power of story, and the art of co-creation to move leaders and teams to discover potency in this moment.

Together, we can design and facilitate a powerful strategy day, leadership retreat or team development program to unlock transformative change.