Lessons from the Farm

Lessons from the Farm
by Joseph Marzano, Jr.

Like early American pioneers, my family was city-bred and unfamiliar with country life when we moved to the small Pennsylvania farm where I grew up. While not our primary income source, the farm was an entrepreneurial venture. We needed the right skills and knowledge to grow our crops, and the willingness and motivation to succeed.

In addition to a lasting appreciation for nature, I learned valuable lessons on life, leadership, and the meaning of success from that farm experience. As an expert who helps executives improve performance as leaders and communicators, here are three valuable lessons that relate to leading an organization.

See Your Future
Before beginning work on our farm, my parents developed clear expectations for providing a quality living experience. They focused our efforts on a vision of future success. In our careers and businesses, we all create different outcomes by asking "why are we here, what is our opportunity, and what do we want from this opportunity?" Does your organization know its purpose, its vision of future success? Do you understand the situation or environment you are currently in? Do you agree on focus to reach that purpose? Great leaders understand and use an objective, facilitated strategic planning process to assess and align vision, values, objectives, goals and direction toward their future harvest.

Set an Example
My city-raised family learned how to adapt to farming realities and make their dreams happen. My parents encouraged us to acquire new skills and knowledge, and take action each day toward our goals. We made mistakes that set us back, yet we were supported and encouraged to keep trying. We worked together with patience and persistence, and our farm began to produce rewards from our positive attitudes and efforts. Leaders are responsible for identifying the behaviors needed to achieve desired outcomes, understanding what will influence those behaviors, and taking action to say and do what is necessary to move themselves and others forward. Great leaders show others the way through personal example of attitude and actions. They provide coaching to support and keep people focused on the doing the right things.

Share the Bounty
Farming communities regularly follow hard work with fun celebrations, gatherings and events to reward and encourage continued effort. I remember spontaneous orchard breaks to savor fresh-picked peaches, being rewarded with my Mom's special pies, and many grand picnics with family and friends. Those celebrations energized and encouraged us to continue investing in and supporting the farm. Great leaders take time to reflect on how individual and group behaviors contribute to progress. They understand that positive feedback is their most valuable tool in influencing effort toward goals, and invest in the ongoing development of human capital to attract, train and retain the talent needed.

What is your growing season like? Do you know where you are, what you want to achieve, and what effort it will take to get there? Do you understand what influences behavior, how you will support continued progress, and what you will do to support your people? Applying lessons from the farm will lead to a more bountiful and healthful harvest for everyone involved in your organization.

Mr. Marzano is a partner with InterLINK Management Consulting, a Pittsburgh, PA based group that specializes in developing leadership and integrated management solutions for small to medium sized organizations. Mr. Marzano improves performance in executives who want to lead and communicate with confidence and power. He may be reached by phone at (412)793-5636 or by e-mail at Jmarzano@interlinkbusiness.com.

Return to top of page

Return to Articles