People management skills. As farms grow and expand – whether through more acres, side businesses or other ventures – more and more of the farm leader’s job involves working through other people. More work to do means a greater number of people involved in the operation. This requires working on a whole different area of leadership skills, which some farm leaders may not have previously had a great deal of experience in. Working with people to “get stuff done” is usually a pretty complex job – since human beings are unique and complex. Building people management skills will serve the farm leader well both now and especially in the future as farms continue to grow.

Communication skills. When farmers move into a leadership position in the operation, the need for top-notch communication skills also becomes more crucial. Working to improve communication skills helps across every area of the business – anytime you’re working with other people to get things done, you’re using those skills – including with your family members. There are multiple ways to work on your skills in this area. Start by first working to understand your own communication style. Then, you can work to better adapt your style to others for more success.

Financial and marketing skills. More complexity within the farm business requires the leader to sharpen and hone excellent financial management and marketing skills. Farm lenders want to work with savvy farm leaders. They need you to be “speaking their language,” ready to explain your plans in the terms they know and use. To be competitive, all farm leaders need to assess their current level of understanding of both financial terms and marketing tools. Consider getting in touch with our market advisors or viewing a free trial of our marketing solutions as part of your game plan this winter.