Leaders in Ag: Rena Striegel Shares Her Thoughts on Leading With Intention

Rena Striegel is an internationally recognized business coach and consultant with more than 20 years of experience working directly with farmers, ag leaders, senior executives and entrepreneurs to identify and implement strategies that create growth and profitability. She grew up on a dairy and hog farm in What Cheer, Iowa. In her role with Transition Point Business Advisors, she leads client projects in the areas of strategic planning, business succession and employee/leadership development. Most of her current clients are large family-owned farm operations.

What makes a good farm business leader?
“What I resonate with is someone who is always scanning the horizon for what’s next. They also invest a ton of time and attention in their people. These leaders really want to understand what their people want, what they’re interested in and what's going on in their lives. I also think they're fearless. They know bad things could happen but don't let that paralyze or shut them down. They're always looking for opportunity in the adversity. When I look at the really successful farm leaders that I work with, those are the common threads that tie them together."

What advice do you have for leaders who are trying to grow their operations?
“Be mindful of the things you can do that are within your control. Focus on squeezing more profitability out of what's already happening and get really good at it. Then look for opportunities that fit seamlessly and support the whole operation. If it’s outside the usual operations, be sure you can support it and it doesn't require all of your attention. You don’t want the main farming business to suffer because of it."

What are some of the biggest mistakes you see at family farms in terms of leadership?
“The biggest mistake is not tackling issues or tough conversations when things are a little.  Putting things off or ignoring them because it's just going to take time to deal with it, I think is the number one issue. The second thing that I see a lot is not allowing people to really grow and expand when they have talent. That would be trying to hold people in place or keep them in the role you want them in instead of allowing them to be who they are and contribute at their highest level. The third mistake would be not letting go of things or holding grudges. For instance, if someone messed up once in the past, and hasn’t messed up sense, but the leader is still penalizing them for that mistake. It’s better to look at where we are today, instead of always looking in that rearview mirror and being fear focused rather than future focused."

What is the first thing you would address as a leader if you were taking over an operation?
“The first thing to address is culture. What does this farm family really value? What is the environment people are running the operation and functioning in? Make sure the culture promotes and supports the goals that I would have as a farming leader."

What are the best operations doing better than their peers?
“Communication is the number one thing that it all comes back to and these operations are simply talking more. They have platforms for solving problems. They have people in roles that fit them. Those people are making decisions independently because they know which decisions are theirs to make. Then they're communicating those decisions in an effective way."

Are leaders made or born?
“Some people are more naturally disposed to being leaders. They're driven to that role, but it doesn’t mean they’re good at it. To be a really good leader, I think you're made into one through intention and exposure. Those leaders have the mindset that they want to be great at leadership. I also think even reluctant people can be incredibly great leaders."