Do You Pass the Farm Leadership Test?
As the leader of your farm, you have a great opportunity and responsibility. You set the pace, the tone and the direction of your business.
“To farm at scale, farmers need to combine good production skills with management and leadership skills,” says Val Farmer, a clinical psychologist and family business expert. “Too many producers think they are leaders — they are not.”
Do you pass the test? Here are a few ways you can be a better leader now and in the future.
Create an open and inviting culture. Key team members need to be involved in problem analysis and decision making. “Without involvement, commitment suffers,” Farmer says.
Don’t sugarcoat feedback. “We’ve been taught the ‘feedback sandwich’ for decades,” says Bob Grace, co-founder of The Leadership Effect. “You tell someone something positive, then say the negative criticism and follow it with something else positive. Typically, only the middle comment is important at the time. So just say what you mean to say.”
Focus on healthy optimism. It’s hard to escape negativity today. Change that trend. “The most inspiring leaders look to the future with optimism and communicate a powerful vision, regardless of how difficult or good times may be,” says Matt Mayberry, former NFL linebacker and business coach.
Set appropriate boundaries. A huge mistake leaders make is getting involved with their employees’ personal issues, Grace says. “If somebody is having personal problems, you can take away responsibilities for a short time,” he says. “But you can’t fix their personal problems, so don’t try.”
Never stop learning. “A leader takes time to be on top of his or her field,” Farmer says. “This takes a commitment of time and resources.”
Leadership is tough, but doable. Focus on the key mission.
“As a leader, you have an opportunity to change someone’s life forever, both professionally and personally,” Mayberry says. “Don’t ever take this for granted.”
