Why Appleseeds?

Frequently when I facilitate a leadership session, I will kickoff the event by asking people to share something unique about themselves. There are several reasons for this. First, it eliminates all the boring, repetitive information that we all typically filter out and immediately forget, like how many years you’ve worked for this company, or your geographic location, or something equally benign and completely unremarkable.

When I ask people to share something unique, truly unique, it makes them pause, reflect and consider what is truly unique about themselves, something that would not and could not be true of anyone else in the room at that exact time. It makes them think about what it is that makes them them. It causes them to identify something that makes them stand out, instead of something that makes them blend in.

And then, all the other people listening can latch on to something memorable, something concrete and specific that will stick in their brain for at least a few days. Sharing something unique creates a personal association that is more likely to be remembered by the rest of the people in the room. And frequently, it creates opportunities for connection.

Whenever we do this exercise, I have a handful of things I am prepared to share as my own introduction, to model some unique fact. Sometimes I will say I’ve completed three Ironman triathlons. Which is true. I’ll share this intro when I want to establish a bit of respect for myself, since many of the status/achievement oriented executives in the room are inclined to be impressed by this accomplishment. Ironman is just one achievement I can share to generate credibility.  

Other times I’ll start by saying I was a Peace Corps volunteer. This is another unique fact unlikely to be shared by other leaders working in an aerospace defense company. Many of the leaders I work with are veterans. Veterans of the armed services:  Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. When I say I served our country, but in the United States Peace Corps, I typically get confused/quizzical looks, as many people don’t realize the Peace Corps is still a thing. This introduction is what I’ll use when I want to establish myself as being somehow unlike the rest of “them” – whomever them is that day. Peace Corps is something I did that makes me different from most of my peers.  

And sometimes I’ll use another introduction. Sometimes I’ll tell the group that I’m related to Johnny Appleseed. This one usually perplexes the audience, as they aren’t sure what to think about this. Most people don’t know that Johnny Appleseed was a real person, they think he’s another fairy tale character they dimly remember from their childhood fables. Then I’ll explain that Johnny Appleseed was a real person, his real name was John Chapman and he's my great-great-great-great-great Uncle. Five greats. And he lived in Ohio and he never married, so we’re all related through his brother’s family. And yes, there’s a museum about him today in Ohio and apple orchards that can be traced back to the apple seeds that he personally planted.

When I use this introduction, it’s because I want to start out with the team on a fresh/clean page. I don’t want to lead with my accomplishments, I don’t want to impress them. Instead of being about something I achieved, this introduction is more about who I am. It’s about my heritage and my identity. And it might cause people to be more curious about who else I might be.  

And this is the emotion I typically want to generate when I am working with leaders. I want the people I work with to be curious. Not just about me, but about each other, and I also want them to be curious about themselves. Curiosity is something that leads to discovery. When you are being curious, you are not being judgy. Curiosity also leads to vulnerability and vulnerability leads to growth. This opens up possibilities. I want to work with people who are thinking about what’s possible instead of what’s not.

So when I decided to launch this newsletter, I knew I wanted a title that conveyed something about who I am.

I am someone who cares about ideas and words. I think a lot about a wide variety of diverse topics. I read voraciously and I analyze everything and I frequently wake up thinking about how to solve random problems. This newsletter will simply be a place where I explore ideas I care about enough to write about them. 

Johnny Appleseed cared about many things in his lifetime: planting apple trees, animal welfare, and land conservation. 200 years after he lived, I care about different things: leadership and creativity and healthy human flourishing.  

Johnny Appleseed actually traveled by foot and by raft around the Midwest in his tin hat, spreading stories wherever he planted apple trees. Luckily, I can travel around the whole world today through the internet, without ever leaving my home. Instead of planting apple trees, I simply want to spread stories and ideas, to help people think more deeply about their world and their life.

Johnny planted apple seeds that could take root and flourish in all sorts of conditions. He created apple orchards where apple orchards never existed, and his work directly enabled pioneers to settle the frontier. Like him, I will spread seeds, but seeds in the shape of stories. I will share stories that give people hope.

My name is Niki and I’m related to Johnny Appleseed.