This is a simple representation of an Ancient Coolabah Tree, like this organisation “Stronger Smarter” and the first peoples it serves and represents, the Coolabah is found across the length and breadth of the ancient land. Its foliage spreads like an umbrella creating, providing a safe place to sit recover renew.

This safe place supports wellbeing for all that hold and sit in connection. This space allows for open and honest communication, a place of laughter, story and song. It was in such places that our people built and renewed relationships. It was through the Dreaming Stories our leadership/eldership innovatively and creatively made new understandings for current issues and situations. Here we would be reminded of our connection, responsibility, roles and purpose. 

Like the Coolabah roots, the foundations are the how and the why of the organisation and must be deep, strong and sure. The roots must “Walk their Talk”. It’s from here the tree draws its life and drink from mother earth. The ideals, concepts, drive and focus, exist within this unseen machine. 

The trunk, like the Leadership is charged with directing upwards the strength and support provided by the roots to the top of the growing canopy. Growth is made with a policy of “Permission to Fail”. This brings with it and supports diversity in thought, creativity, resulting in Evolutionary results. 

Like all living organisms and living Organisations, they are more than the sum of their parts. 

The leaf provides and performs its function, benefiting the whole organism while in turn supported by the other individual parts exercising their tasks and roles. If one aspect is failing, then the whole organism/ Organisation is under threat of sickness. “United we stand divided we fall.” The foliage is the visible sign of success of the roots and trunk. When we see health we call this success, and where we see sickness, it is failure in the system. Well-functioning, happy and engaged foliage is a result of thoughtful and self-aware management. (Walking the Talk again). 

The flow of communication must be unhindered from root to leaf and in return, we call this healthy functioning in nature and in business life. When failures appear or damaging Scars show themselves, it is testament to good and open lines of communication that repairs occur prior to infection. This art work also depicts my Teachings of “Spirit, Story, and Skin”. Our Cultural understandings teach that all three exist within the same moment and place. This is again true with organisms or organisations. This work shows the white lines representing both song lines and Spirit. These Song lines move with spirit through each and everyone and everything, connecting us all to the source. The white dots in the tree roots depict this life force, the living vibration, taken up through the roots up and emptied into the sky. This magic is real and is alive in all things. It is in the awareness of it that we unite properly with it creating passion, direction, empathy, Identity that carries through all life and existence. 

Peter Muraay Djeripi Mulcahy ©