I grew up a farm boy. Long before boardrooms and business frameworks, I learned life’s toughest lessons from soil, stock, and seasons. Later in life, as I packed up life in the city, retired to the country with my kids, they homeschooled we bought horses, and I dreamt a thing John Dutton for the rest of my life – a stoic rancher, protector of land and legacy.
It struck me: the best leaders are farmers at heart. They don’t force growth—they create the conditions for it.
Here’s how:
- Don’t shout at the crops 🌱
↳ Growth doesn’t come from noise. It comes from patience, clarity, and steady hands. Pressure never makes the harvest arrive faster. - Water the roots, not just the leaves 💧
↳ Invest in your people’s foundations—skills, purpose, wellbeing. Praise and recognition are nutrients. Shallow gestures never last. - Remove the weeds early 🌾
↳ Negativity spreads faster than blight in a wet paddock. Leaders who avoid tough conversations risk losing the whole field. - Don’t blame the soil 💪
↳ When results falter, support your people instead of pointing fingers. Blame shrinks confidence; backing builds belief. - Choose the right seeds for the season 🌍
↳ Match people to problems they’re built to solve. Diversity makes the whole ecosystem stronger, and timing matters as much as talent. - Respect the seasons 🍂🌸
↳ There are cycles—growth and dormancy, feast and famine. Anticipate them. Prepare your team for both. - Don’t pull up the seedlings too soon ⏳
↳ Real progress takes time. Micromanagement is like tugging at shoots to check the roots—it kills the very thing you want to grow. - Tend to the fences 🛠️
↳ Culture is like a boundary line—if you don’t maintain it, predators creep in. Guard values and integrity fiercely.
The truth is simple:
Leaders don’t force growth.
They till the soil, tend the field, and trust the harvest will come.
