Reading Time: 3 minutes From the time we are born stories help us learn important lessons. Every day I look around for stories that can help me understand what is or isn’t working on our farm. It might be small anecdotes or maybe a line from an employee or a supplier that sticks with me. If I can understand […] Read more
How to develop a leader’s mindset at every stage of your career
Summer Series: Leadership looks different at every stage of your farm career. And the stories you hear, the ones you seek out or the ones you tell yourself all effect how you lead
VIDEO: How to go from managing to mentoring
Summer Series: How you lead matters. Subtle but powerful shifts in your leadership style can make a world of difference to your employees and, consequently, to your farm business
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a moment every leader remembers: that moment when someone looks at them differently. Not because of what that leader did, but because of how they did it. That’s mentorship. There have been a few times in my career where I’ve had glimpses of a true mentor. Those moments stand out. But the most impactful […] Read more
Leaders need support, too
Summer Series: Today’s ag leaders shoulder a heavy mental and emotional load. Despite their stoic leadership skills team members must remember that sometimes their leader needs support, too
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Leaders are expected to remain composed, to offer reassurance and to be a safe harbour for their teams… it can be draining,” says Jennifer MacTavish, a Guelph, Ont., executive coach and mediator. This can lead to burnout, especially during times of uncertainty. MacTavish, who spent 20 years in leadership roles with agricultural industry associations, has […] Read more
Great farm leaders have dirt under their fingernails
Summer Series: Agriculture has had its share of great leaders. But what happens to the industry when the leadership pool starts to dry up?
Reading Time: 2 minutes I don’t believe that leaders are born. I believe they are made. I also believe that we are on the cusp of losing a significant amount of leadership in agriculture. Canadian and U.S. farmer demographics indicate that approximately 65 per cent of the industry is in the exit strategy stage. We are about to lose […] Read more
How women lead with confidence in agriculture
Summer Series: While women working in agriculture is certainly not as rare as it used to be, gender biases haven’t kept pace with the change. But with the help of peers and industry learning opportunities women are confidently stepping into leadership roles
Reading Time: 6 minutes Gender bias is complicated. It can be intentional, but it can also be subconscious or structural, such as when it’s embedded in organizational policies or societal norms. And it often goes unseen by those who don’t experience it themselves. Although the number of women working in leadership positions in agriculture is increasing, women are still […] Read more
VIDEO: How to be the best leader for your farm
Summer Series: Being a leader isn’t just about a fancy business title. It’s about leading by example, inspiring and empowering those around you. How can you lead more intentionally on your farm?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Since I was a kid, I was told to never put gas in a diesel engine. Have you ever done that? I admit that I did. The hardest part wasn’t the cleanup, the cost, or the inconvenience. The hardest part was admitting what I did. Owning this mistake took me down two very different roads. […] Read more
Knowledge lost and gained
Over the past few decades, technology has progressed exponentially, providing access to vast amounts of information. Ironically, this influx is contributing to a loss of important knowledge as well
Reading Time: 7 minutes How does a young animal learn to hunt? By observing the older generation. Humans are much the same. As a social species, we learn by mimicking, otherwise known as social learning. Social learning is the process through which we acquire knowledge and behaviours, by watching and imitating others. Like much of human social learning, transferring […] Read more
In the combine
Syngenta leader Jeff Rowe talks about being prepared for leadership and the importance of listening to people
Reading Time: 3 minutes Jeff Rowe, CEO of the Syngenta Group, doesn’t often get home to his farm near Princeton, Illinois. He’s usually operating from his base in Basel, Switzerland, instead. But when he does get back to the Midwest, you might catch up to him running a planter in the spring or the combine in the fall, just […] Read more
Summer Series: Creating a positive culture
[Make it Count] Will creating a better workplace culture really improve your bottom line enough to justify all the buzz it’s getting?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sure, a positive workplace culture can make your farm a more enjoyable place to work, and who doesn’t want a few more smiles in their day? But will a better workplace culture really improve your bottom line? According to a growing body of psychological research, the answer is a clear “yes.” The new science says […] Read more
Summer Series: Develop leaders, not labourers
[Leadership] Allowing people to safely struggle is good. Let them know you are there for support, but they’re expected to figure it out and get it done
Reading Time: 3 minutes A leadership expert offers his advice to help answer the question “What’s at risk if I don’t help others on my farm develop their leadership skills?” – April Stewart, CG Associate Editor Part of having an executive mindset on the farm is developing others. Developing others might seem like a basic function of management, which it […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
