Why a stretching cat?

From time to time, people ask why I chose a stretching cat as the symbol of Lilywood.

It’s a fair question. The answer is not really about branding, but about how I think about leadership, judgement and readiness.

A cat stretches before it moves. Not because it is uncertain or hesitant, but because it is attentive – to itself, to its surroundings, and to what is about to be required. Stretching is preparation, not delay.

That matters.

Much leadership today is pushed relentlessly towards speed: quick decisions, rapid responses, visible action. In many contexts, that pressure is understandable. But movement without readiness has a cost. Decisions made without space can strain people, institutions and trust.

The stretching cat captures the moment before action – the pause that is not paralysis, but discipline.

Stretching is not weakness. It is strength expressed with care. There is confidence in the posture, but no aggression. Capability without display. Authority without noise.

That, for me, is a powerful image of leadership at its best.

A stretching cat is also fully present. Alert to context. Grounded. Ready to act, but not yet acting. It reflects an understanding that good movement depends on good preparation, and that clarity achieved early often prevents damage later.

This is the kind of space Lilywood exists to create.

Not endless reflection, and not hesitation masquerading as thoughtfulness – but enough room to notice what is really going on, to prepare properly, and to move with intent rather than impulse.

And, of course, there is another, more literal reason the image resonates.

On the roof of my home sits a straw stretching cat – a quiet, watchful presence that has become part of the place itself. It isn’t there to make a statement. It simply belongs. Over time, it has come to feel like a small, steady reminder of the value of readiness, attentiveness and calm before action.

The cat is not meant to be cute or whimsical. It is calm, self-possessed and quietly capable. Like the work itself, it does not demand attention. It rewards it.

That is why a stretching cat feels like the right symbol for Lilywood.