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.
This summer, my family and I spent several days dismantling and reassembling a large tarp shelter. Through heat, rain, and plenty of problem-solving, we pulled together and got it done.
My father-in-law and I served as the crew chiefs. Together we managed the process — adjusting plans, giving direction, and keeping things moving. What struck me wasn’t just how we accomplished the task, but how we led together.
He recognized my strengths, and I recognized his.
We leaned on each other — not perfectly, but intentionally.
There were moments of disagreement, even frustration, but over time we both saw that the project depended on more than our individual skill. It depended on our ability to see and value one another’s identity in the work.
That’s what leadership is.
Your identity as a leader shapes everything — your confidence, your communication, your decisions, and how your team experiences you. It’s the unseen factor that determines whether you lead from trust or from tension.
Many leaders focus on behavior — the “what” of leadership.
But the deeper work is identity — the “who.”
And that identity is anchored in three forces: Trust, Intentionality, and Purpose.
When you trust yourself, you stop leading from fear.
You can make space for others’ strengths instead of protecting your own.
Leaders who trust themselves don’t need to have all the answers — they build teams that do.
Trust is also what allows you to recognize the strengths in others. When you’re secure in who you are, someone else’s ability doesn’t feel like competition; it feels like partnership.
That’s what happened under that tarp — two people who trusted each other enough to let their strengths show up differently.
Intentionality is how identity shows up in the moment.
It’s the pause before reaction, the clarity before action.
When you lead intentionally, you don’t just do leadership tasks — you choose how you want to show up.
That kind of leadership helps your team see that their strengths have a place. It signals that what matters isn’t being right, but being aligned.
Purpose gives meaning to effort. It’s what connects what we do to why it matters.
Without purpose, even good work can feel empty. With it, every task — even reassembling a tarp in the rain — becomes an expression of something bigger.
When purpose is clear, strengths align naturally. People stop competing and start contributing.
When leaders recognize strengths — in themselves and their teams — they’re really acknowledging identity. They’re saying:
“I see what you bring, and I trust that it matters.”
That recognition builds confidence and clarity on both sides. It strengthens the culture. It reminds everyone that leadership isn’t about having control; it’s about creating space for others to show up fully.
Leadership identity isn’t formed in the classroom — it’s formed in the work.
It grows when trust deepens, when intentionality guides action, and when purpose keeps everyone pointed in the same direction.
So whether you’re leading a team through a major project or simply navigating another Monday morning, ask yourself:
Because when you lead from your identity — not your insecurity — you create space for others to do the same.
And that’s how real leadership grows.
