Leadership is a word used very frequently in every workplace. I reckon its a word that is easy to say, and despite being the focus of research, training and plenty of publications, still is open to many different definitions. I think all of us have expectations and interpretations of what leadership is, and of some of the characteristics of leadership. But having said that, how important is leadership to you and in your farm business?
I think about leadership a lot. In my mind leadership is something that is a combination of many skills and more importantly an attitude. I reckon its vital that you don't look on leadership as something that only matters when you are working with a team or when you are working with employees or when you are judging your boss! I think good leadership starts at an individual level and if you can get that established it will help in your interaction with everyone else.
So what makes a good leader? There are plenty of publications that attempt to define this. I think about something I was told once as a newly appointed Deputy Captain with Fire Rescue NSW. That is;
"A good leader is a good follower"
If you think about that for a second and consider it for your own circumstances, it might help you in your daily efforts to be a good leader. I take it to mean, that when I follow someone, I do it because:
I respect their knowledge and skills
They have an ability to make decisions and to stick by these decisions
They have a strong sense of fairness
They have a willingness to listen
They trust my skills and knowledge
They share their ideas and encourage me to to do better
I could go on, but thats what I expect from people I choose to follow. Or rather who exercise leadership roles in activities I am involved in.
So if I expect that from others, I think its only fair that I try and do the same when I'm in working with other people.
It might be easy to think, particularly when you may work on your own or with a family team, that concentrating on your attitude and skills to leadership isn't the most important priority. I would argue that it actually is a big priority.
Your attitude to the important things such as being safe when you are on the farm, driving safely, moving stock correctly, wearing the right gear when welding or fencing or mixing chemicals; how you approach animal welfare or comply with industry practice are, without a doubt, reflections of your attitude to leadership. When you take on staff, or even if you are working with you partner, your willingness to be a good follower, and share your knowledge and skills, to trust the other people to do their job and to help them do their job better all contributes to you becoming a better leader.
I guess I focus on these things because I'm passionate about helping other people do their job better, to achieve their passions and goals, and because I want them to be safe from personal injury or from the unintended consequences of poor decisions. So in my mind being a leader isn't about being in charge. To me it comes down to using the opportunities that come my way in order to help people move closer to their goals.
I reckon if one of your goals is to enjoy your work and for the people you work with to enjoy their roles; if you and your colleagues want to be safe and effective across your business thinking about leadership skills and attitudes will help you move closer to achieving these goals.