The Green to Evergreen Gap

Every business knows the story: a top performer gets promoted into leadership. They’re smart, they’re skilled, they’re driven. But then something happens.

The numbers stall. The team becomes disengaged. Trust starts to slip.

It’s not that this new leader isn’t talented, it’s that they’re still green. They’ve mastered tasks, but not yet the art of leading people.

The danger? If we don’t invest in closing that gap, we don’t just risk one leader struggling. We risk losing an entire team’s momentum, and, over time, the future of the business.

What Makes an Evergreen Leader?

Evergreen leaders don’t just survive in their roles; they grow and keep growing. Like deep-rooted trees, they withstand storms and still provide stability, shade, and strength for the people around them.

Evergreen leaders:

• Lead with values as their compass
• Make decisions with vision, not just urgency
• Empower others instead of clinging to control
• Communicate with clarity and consistency
• Navigate challenges with resilience
• Invest in people so the next generation grows stronger

When businesses develop evergreen leaders, they create cultures that last.

Evergreen Leadership in Action: Starbucks

The Leader: Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks

The Context: Starbucks grew from a single Seattle coffee shop into a global brand. But growth alone wasn’t the goal, Schultz insisted on building a values-driven culture that could scale.

Evergreen Principles at Work:

• Values as Compass: Schultz built Starbucks not just around coffee, but around the value of creating a “third place” between home and work,  a community hub. That value guided everything from store design to customer experience.
• Vision > Urgency: During downturns, he doubled down on long-term investments (such as healthcare for part-time employees and ethical sourcing of coffee) instead of short-term cuts.
• Empowerment: He gave local store managers autonomy to shape their teams and communities, trusting them to bring the Starbucks vision to life.
• Consistent Communication: He repeated Starbucks’ mission to “inspire and nurture the human spirit.”
• Resilience: When Starbucks’ brand started to decline in the mid-2000s, Schultz returned as CEO and led a turnaround, refocusing on quality, values, and customer experience.
• Investment in People: Starbucks was one of the first major companies to offer healthcare and stock options to part-time employees, as well as tuition assistance, investing in people as a long-term strategy.

The Result: Starbucks became one of the most trusted global brands, with a culture that endures beyond Schultz himself.

3 Practical Ways to Start Developing Green Leaders Today

If you’re wondering, “How do we start?”, here are three strategies you can apply right now:

1. Anchor Them in Values

• Have new leaders write down their Top 3 Leadership Values.
• Ask: “What do I want my team to experience when they work with me?”
• Use these values as a filter for decisions and communication.

Why it matters: Green leaders often default to “getting the job done.” Values shift the focus from task management to people-centered leadership.

2. Pair Them with a Mentor or Coach

• Don’t assume new leaders will “figure it out.”
• Assign them a mentor (inside or outside the company) to model resilience, communication, and trust-building.
• Encourage monthly reflection: “What challenges did you face this month? How did you lead through them?”

Why it matters: Mentorship accelerates growth by turning trial-and-error into guided learning.

3. Teach Them the “Two Conversations” Rule

• For every task-related conversation, green leaders should have two people-focused conversations.
• Examples: giving feedback, asking how someone is doing, or sharing recognition.

Why it matters: Green leaders often lean heavily on tasks; evergreen leaders balance task + trust. This rule rewires habits quickly.

Leadership Development as a Business Strategy

Here’s the bottom line:

• Promoting green leaders without developing them isn’t a reward — it’s a risk.
• Every business that wants consistent growth needs to treat leadership development as a business strategy, not an optional perk.

When you invest in turning green leaders into evergreen leaders, you don’t just grow individuals; you build trust, culture, and scalability.

A Challenge for You

Look at your current or emerging leaders. Ask yourself:

• Do they know and live out their top 3 leadership values?
• Do they have a mentor (or the right mentor) invested in their growth?
• Are they balancing task conversations with trust-building conversations?

If not, start with one small step today. Because the sooner you close the green-to-evergreen gap, the sooner your business becomes future-proof.