On the farm, family members and employees are part of a team, Knapp says, and the same tactics work that work in corporations and associations.

The effective leader

Being effective as a leader doesn’t come from throwing your weight around. Instead, with John Knapp as proof, it starts by discovering what your team members bring to the table

Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s not every government department that has a deputy minister who makes a point of having coffee with staff in the morning. But then, not every deputy minister is John Knapp. Knapp retired from Alberta Agriculture in 2013, but he’s still active in the leadership field. He wrote a book, titled The Leader’s Practice Guide, […] Read more

Guide HR: A question of charisma

Good leaders seem special. It’s a talent you can grow

Reading Time: 3 minutes People with charisma stand out. It’s a trait that we associate with leadership — that something special that makes an individual seem exceptional. But it turns out that charisma has little to do with good looks, wealth, titles or authority, and although it can seem that individuals with charisma must have inherited it at their […] Read more


Lead change, don’t just manage it

Lead change, don’t just manage it

Book review: Leading Change by John P. Kotter

Reading Time: 4 minutes Leading Change John P. Kotter Harvard Business Review Press, 2012 Two decades ago, Harvard professor John Kotter revolutionized how we should think about change, and in the first edition of Leading Change, he laid out an eight-step process for how to transform a business. Although he mainly targets large organizations, Kotter’s thinking seems equally pertinent […] Read more

Guide HR: How to become a credible leader

Reading Time: 3 minutes Credibility is priceless when you need to influence your partners, advisers, employees, or anyone else around you. But what makes you credible? And why are some people perceived as credible while others aren’t? More importantly, can you grow your credibility? If so, how? It’s a critical issue, because even if you have all the skills, […] Read more


Guide HR: Why are true leaders rare?

Guide HR: Why are true leaders rare?

Reading Time: 3 minutes If given a choice, would you prefer to be seen as a results-focused leader, or as a leader with exceptional social skills? In short, do you prefer to cultivate strong analytical skills, are you highly motivated to reach goals, do you have initiative, and are you focused on exceptional delivery of results and effective problem […] Read more

Kelly Dobson considered an MBA, but signed up for leadership training instead. It’s impacting his farm every day, he says.

Farmers finding a competitive edge with leadership training

Across the country, more farmers are signing up for in-depth leadership training, and they’re using it to transform the way they farm and do business

Reading Time: 7 minutes There’s a saying that if you aren’t moving forward, then you’re falling behind. Never has this been more true than in agriculture today. But something else is equally true. It’s that more farmers are keeping up with this need for change by dedicating time and effort to cutting-edge studies on leadership. For 46-year-old Kelly Dobson, […] Read more


Guide HR: A simple way to get more done

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is 6:30. You get up and plan to have a productive day. You look at your email inbox. You were supposed to look for just 10 minutes, and then you realize that it is 7:30. The children leave for school, you are in a hurry, and you completely forget your priorities for the day. […] Read more

4-H Canada CEO Shannon Benner announces $600,000 in funding for scholarship and farm safety programs, in partnership with CN. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Railway funds to deliver safety, leadership programs

Reading Time: 2 minutes 4-H Canada is set to launch a new youth leadership program, along with a farm safety fund, thanks to a $600,000 contribution from Canadian National Railway (CN). Executives at 4-H and CN unveiled the 4-H Canada Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction (LEAD) at Canadian Western Agribition on Wednesday morning. Each year LEAD will award four […] Read more


Farmer with grain

Guide HR: ‘Is he suffering from the god complex?’

A narcissistic personality can come in any shape or size and can put your business at risk

Reading Time: 3 minutes He is always right,” says Matthew, age 25. “We always have to do things his way. Not even my mother can voice any kind of opinion. I’ve had enough.” When I met Matthew’s father, his initial comment was, “You will see right away that my son and my wife have problems.” At that point, I […] Read more

Man standing in field with combine

Reap the value of personality testing

AME Management: Understanding who you and your people are can help your business reach its goals

Reading Time: 3 minutes Understanding ourselves and others is one of the increasingly important skills needed to be effective in agri-business organizations. In order to harness the full potential of their organizations and to hit the financial, strategic and operational goals of their businesses, the best managers report that they need to know how to get the best from […] Read more