The Next Generation of Farm Leadership Starts Here

Leadership. It’s a subject countless books, articles, podcasts and TikToks address every day.  A quick search reveals over 70,000 results on the subject of “Leadership Books.” You can even get a college degree in “Leadership Studies” at multiple universities. We seem to spend a lot of time talking about leadership, which might just mean that it is important. 

The importance of having strong and effective leadership skills in an agricultural business is why we start with the subject in the GenerationNext Seminar Series. In GenerationNext, we define a leader as “anyone, regardless of title or industry, who is responsible for guiding others toward an outcome.”

Our Farm Credit East Consultants get close enough to agricultural businesses to understand both the numbers and the people behind them. We can attest that businesses with leaders who meet this description of leading a team towards a common goal tend to have a competitive advantage over those who struggle with leadership.

Leadership at every level

Strong leadership starts at the highest level in a business, but it does not end there. A well-led business has examples of leadership at all levels, regardless of authority or management. Patrick Lencioni puts it well when he says, “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

Leadership is a trait that is exhibited when a person does their work in a positive way, working towards the common goal(s) of the business — and it’s a hard trait to replicate. Strong leadership impacts every aspect of an agricultural business. It influences how teams communicate, how quickly problems are addressed, how effectively opportunities are pursued and how confidently a business navigates change.

Traits That Build Strong Teams

Think of an example of a leader who you have admired. What traits did they have? Were they approachable or were they aloof? Did they seek input from others, or did they make decisions in a vacuum? When it came time to make a decision, were they timid or confident?

Time and time again, the best run businesses tend to have leaders in place who engage with others in their business and their peers to understand problems and find solutions. Great leaders create clarity, build trust within their teams, encourage accountability and create an environment where people are willing to contribute ideas and solve problems together. Finally, leaders pick a path and move forward without hesitation but have checkpoints in place to assure that they are staying on course.

Develop Your Leadership Skills Through GenerationNext

Tomorrow's agricultural leaders will need more than production expertise — they will need the ability to balance financial performance, lead people, drive change and make strategic decisions. You will learn about all of these topics, starting with leadership, in GenerationNext. Are you ready to take on the challenge of moving towards becoming a leader in your business? If so, sign up for an upcoming GenerationNext session today!

Sign up today!