It’s no secret to anyone leading a farm operation or who is on deck to be the farm’s next leader: There’s a lot of responsibility on a farm leader’s shoulders.

Most farm CEOs have been farming for a long time – maybe even their entire career – and truly want to do the best they can.

Farming is “in their blood.” It’s their passion – they’re passionate about the ground and the people and what they do, and they want to make sure the operation continues on beyond them, into the future. They know there’s a lot riding on them and the decisions they have to make.

Losing sleep?

I’m thinking here about the “big” decisions. These are the decisions that impact the operation and the people in it at a far-reaching level. These decisions are usually big in both financial impact and in determining the future direction of the operation. They’re the types of decisions that sometimes can even determine whether the farm will go on to the next generation.

Often, these types of decisions can be overwhelming and can cause a farmer to lose sleep at night. While it’s good to think major decisions through carefully, there’s a fine line between doing that and overanalyzing. Nobody wants to lose sleep about their farm, but sometimes it seems like gaining peace of mind around major decisions can be a challenge.

7 big ones

Here are some decisions many farmers say tend to worry them the most. Then I’ll share three techniques and ideas leaders can use to help lower anxiety and gain greater peace of mind.

3 strategies

The things you worry about most may or may not be on the list above, but whatever your greatest worry or worries about your operation, consider these three strategies the next time you find yourself confronting one of them.

Our team of market advisors provide farm leaders with insightful perspective around marketing plans and decision-making. You can get in touch with us for more information or get a free two-week trial of our marketing information service at www.waterstreetconsulting.com.