Farm businesses continue to grow in scale and complexity. Once machine capacity has been exhausted, increased capacity comes via the duplication or scalability of that capacity. With this duplication, in-turn, comes the requirement to engage more people, and with this comes the responsibility to lead and manage your team. People management is a skill your business needs if it is to survive this growth however it is a skill learned and thus takes effort to become good at it.

At times, leading your farm business will be akin to leading a small army. Harvest, seeding and other high pressure timely operations require precise timing of logistics, inputs and supplies, multiple applications with complex machinery, and the coordination of people from the farm staff through to supply managers at distribution depots – and some cooperation from Mother Nature.

At other times, activity will be reduced to ‘normal’, whatever that looks like. Tight windows of activity are minimised with timely preparation and activity is somewhat dependent on events that are a little less intense, with some addition of predictability.

This requires a range of engagement levels by the farm owner/manager – and the skill of knowing when to be involved and by how much is very much a learned art.

“A great leader doesn’t require just intelligence, but also character. The leader should be wise, sincere, humane, courageous, and strict. They must also always be “the first in the toils and fatigues of the army”, putting their needs behind those of their troops.”

[Sun Tzu – The Art of War]

This look at leadership styles and management outcomes provides an insight into what you might be like to work for.

The Difference Between Leadership and Management.
It’s important to know leadership and management have two very different objectives and require different skillsets. A leader provides inspiration. A manager provides direction.

Managers can be leaders and vice versa, but the two require a different approach.

What style of leader are you? What style of management suits your business needs, and when?

Leadership styles
German-American psychologist Kurt Lewin is credited with branding the basic leadership styles in 1939. Lewin identified three styles of leadership: Autocratic, Democratic, and Laissez-faire. More recently, other leadership styles have emerged, and one that is commonly grouped in with Lewin’s three is Transformational Leadership. Today, there are four primary leadership styles:

• Autocratic
• Democratic
• Laissez-faire
• Transformational

Autocratic Leadership
Known as Authoritarian Leadership, an Autocratic Leadership style can easily be summed up by the command, “Do as you’re told.”

Autocratic Leadership Qualities

• Direction comes from the top.
• A singular figure who leads a company or team.
• An autocratic leader determines strategy, policies, procedures.
• Directs the organization, dictating everything to subordinates.

Authoritarian leaders are not focused on collaboration, they are rarely interested in feedback, and they prefer to hold all the power and be in charge.
Qualities: Autocratic leaders often possess qualities subordinates look up to, such as decisiveness, self-confidence, and a steadfast, focused commitment to the goal.

When It Works: Autocratic Leadership and the “Don’t question my commands” approach doesn’t sound like fun.
There are occasions when this leadership style can be appropriate and effective, such as in urgent or chaotic situations that require someone to reign in the team and make a prompt and effective decision. Emergency services or ‘time is of the essence’ operations.

When It Doesn’t Work: Employees working under an autocratic leader may feel micromanaged, and because all directives come from one person at the top.

Management outcome from Autocratic Leadership – Act on Instruction.

• At this level the individual implements decisions made by others.
• There is no choice and staff have to do as they are told.
• They may become dependent on that person for direction.
• The individual becomes incapable of making business decisions on their own.

This style suits – Specific tasks, specific outcomes, timely results, heavy management expense.

 

Democratic Leadership
Also known as Participative Leadership, the Democratic Leadership approach involves collaboration with team members, so everyone has a chance to contribute to the decision-making process. Democratic leaders are still the decision-makers, but their approach allows others to feel engaged and have a stake in the outcome.

Democratic Leadership Qualities:

• All policies are a matter of group discussion and decision, encouraged and assisted by the leader.
• Activity perspectives are gained during the first discussion period. General steps to group goal are outlined, and where technical advice are needed, the leader suggested two or three alternative procedures from which a choice is made.
• The members are free to work with anyone, and division of tasks are left to the next level leader.
• The leader is “objective” or “fact-minded” in praise and criticism and tries to be a regular group member in spirit without doing too much of the work.
• Democratic leaders excel at sparking creativity among team members, and outcomes are enriched when positive contributions come from all sides.

Qualities: Democratic leaders possess a curiosity that drives their desire for input from all sides. Their desire for a participative environment also makes them great communicators, and team members often find them approachable.

When It Works: A democratic approach to leadership yields positive results when leadership requires creative input, and this engagement often heightens employee morale.

When It Doesn’t Work: Not every leader achieves success with the democratic approach. Inevitably, there will be employees who feel left out because their ideas or solutions were not chosen. Further, placing confidence in the group to suggest solutions can be problematic if the group is not skilled or trained to answer the call.

Management outcome from Democratic Leadership – Act after approval.

• The person assesses the factors and plans work.
• Acts only after their manager has approved their chosen action.
• The individual becomes more engaged and understanding of decision processes.

This style suits – Specific tasks, specific outcomes, own methods, controlled management cost.

 

Laissez-faire Leadership
Don’t let the name deceive you. Laissez-faire Leadership is not a “Who cares?” approach. Rather, it involves empowering your employees, being hands-off, and trusting them to accomplish the task at hand without constant questions or micromanagement.

Laissez-faire Leadership Qualities:

• Complete freedom for group or individual decision, without any leader participation.
• Various materials supplied by the leader, who make it clear that they would supply information when asked but take no other part in work discussions.
• Complete non-participation by the leader.
• Very infrequent comments on member activities unless questioned, and no attempt to participate or interfere with the course of events.

Laissez-faire leaders leave decisions to their employees, while staying available to provide feedback when necessary.

Qualities: Laissez-faire leaders are excellent at delegating, and they instil confidence in employees when assigning them tasks without oversight. They can provide constructive criticism when needed, and are often seen as trusting, as they willingly place responsibilities in the hands of employees.

When It Works: The Laissez-faire approach often leads to faster decision-making, as employees don’t need to ask a higher up for approval. It is also especially effective in scenarios where the employees or groups are already trained and skilled for the task at hand. These workers are fully competent and don’t require supervision, and when they’re empowered by a Laissez-faire leader, they may feel more accomplished when they complete their task without a guiding hand or directive.

When It Doesn’t Work: Hands-off can be problematic when your team doesn’t fully understand the mission. Further, Laissez-faire leaders may find that without direction or oversight, employees don’t accomplish as much, or anything at all. Unless you have complete confidence in your employees and their collective ability to complete a task without close supervision, you may reconsider this approach.

Management Outcomes from Laizzes-faire Leadership – decide, inform and act.

• Power to decide is added.
• The people remain accountable to their immediate supervisor/manager.
• Individuals seek forgiveness, not permission if an error is made.
• There is a continued need for the individual to inform their manager of their actions.

This style suits – Specific outcomes, own method/responsibility, low management cost.

 

Transformational Leadership
Transformational Leadership involves developing a grand vision and rallying your employees around it. Under this style, the team is eager to transform and evolve – personally and professionally – to achieve the overall goal. With the organization and employees aligned, teams working under a transformational leader are united for the singular cause, and willing to commit their effort, time, and energy to the organization.

Transformational Leadership Qualities:

• Understanding what needs to change.
• Ability to stimulate the intellect.
• Knack for encouraging participation.
• Talent for genuine communication.
• Loyalty.
• Sense of the bigger picture.
• Personal integrity.
• An inspiring bearing/presence.

When It Works: Transformational Leadership allows employees to clearly see the vision and goals for the organization, and employees remain loyal and productive while working to accomplish their mission. Transformational Leadership creates workplace harmony as everyone is working together, and the lines of communication are always open between employees and leadership.

When It Doesn’t Work: While a fully engaged and committed group is what every leader wants,
Transformational Leadership has been known to contribute to burnout, as employees work continuously to achieve goals. This approach also requires constant communication and feedback between leadership and the employees, and if those lines are severed in any way, the latter can feel left out of the big picture.

Management Outcomes for Transformational Leadership – Decide and act.

• This provides the individual with complete authority and accountability. No approval from the line manager is required.

This style suits – Accountable for outcomes, accountable for actions.

 

What sort of Leader are you and what do you aspire to be?
It is reasonable to imagine at high pressure times, many farmers feel compelled to adopt the Autocratic style for the time critical operations and relax into the Democratic or even Laissez-faire stye at other times of the year.

How is that communicated? What does that do the chain of authority for your trusted staff? How does your team know when to pick up the reigns again, when you move away from autocracy?

What sort of leader do you aspire to be, and what outcomes do you want for your business and team?

A self-examination by looking in the mirror at your own behaviour could be quite revealing.

Acknowledgements:
The University of Arizona – Global Campus / Forbes School of Business.