Agribusiness Leadership provides the necessary tools to unveil the fundamental principles of
Empowered Leaders that Trust themselves and the relationships they lead and leaders who are curious to discover who they are and who they lead.
In agriculture and small business, there’s not a lot of time to stop and ask questions.
The work is urgent. The days are long. Decisions happen fast.
So we assume.
We assume people know what we meant.
We assume they understand the plan.
We assume they’re slacking, or stubborn, or not paying attention—
when the truth is, they’re probably confused.
And when assumptions pile up, clarity gets lost.
Trust breaks down.
And emotions take over.
The other day, I was combining with my boys.
I gave my youngest a clear direction—or so I thought:
“Park the truck where it’s handy.”
That made perfect sense to me.
I assumed he understood.
So I kept combining.
A little while later, I was full and rolled up to the spot where I assumed the truck would be.
It wasn’t there.
My first response? Frustration.
I called him, a little sharp:
“Where’s the truck? I told you where to put it.”
His response stopped me.
He said, “Dad, I didn’t know what you meant. I didn’t understand where you wanted it.”
He was confused.
And the truth is, I hadn’t given clear direction.
Worse—I hadn’t made sure he understood.
That’s on me.
In that moment, I assumed I had been clear.
I assumed he had heard me the way I meant it.
And when reality didn’t match my assumption, I led with emotion.
We assume our team understands the vision.
We assume silence means agreement.
We assume resistance means rebellion—not confusion.
We assume we’re being clear—when we’re actually being vague.
And then when things go sideways, we get reactive.
We push harder. We blame. We snap.
But assumptions aren’t leadership.
They’re shortcuts.
And shortcuts cost more in the long run.
At The Factor, we teach leaders to lead with TIP:
Trust. Intentionality. Purpose.
If I’d followed TIP in that moment with my son, I would’ve:
That would’ve built trust instead of tension.
And that moment could have been one of learning instead of frustration.
The opposite of assumption isn’t micromanagement.
It’s curiosity.
Try asking:
These are the kinds of questions that build trust.
That invite ownership.
That shift the culture.
The next time you feel frustration rising—pause.
Ask:
“What am I assuming right now?”
“Have I been clear—or just fast?”
“What question would bring clarity instead of confusion?”
That’s how you lead with Trust, Intentionality, and Purpose.
That’s how culture changes—from the combine to the boardroom.
I would love to hear what assumptions you have in the workplace and how those assumptions determine culture and empowerment.
Also if you are a Blue Collar Leader and are ready to 10X your leadership jouney I wnat to invite you to the Blue Collar Network!
The Gap and the Gain – Dan Sulivan and Benjamin Hardy
—Arlen
