Leadership

by Michelle Wolf

Questions

•  What  do  you  think  a  “leader”  is?  •  Who  do  you  think  the  “leaders”  are  at  your  farmers’  market?  

•  Who  are  leaders  in  the  organic  agriculture  sectors?    

•  What  do  you  think  makes  them  “leaders”?  

Attributes of a Leader 1.   Passion:  Effec<ve  leaders  believe  passionately  

in  their  goals.  They  have  a  posi<ve  outlook  on  who  they  are,  and  they  love  what  they  do.  Their  passion  for  life  is  a  guiding  star  for  others  to  follow.  

2.   Dedica.on:  Effec<ve  leaders  are  dedicated  to  their  cause  and  will  work  assiduously  on  behalf  of  those  following.  Leaders  give  themselves  en<rely  to  the  task  as  necessary.    

Attributes of a Leader 3.   Guiding  vision:  Effec<ve  leaders  know  what  

they  want  to  do,  and  have  the  strength  of  character  to  pursue  their  objec<ves  in  the  face  of  opposi<on  and  in  spite  of  failures.    The  effec<ve  leader  establishes  achievable  goals  based  on  their  vision.  

4.   Curiosity:  Leaders  are  learners.  They  wonder  about  every  aspect  of  their  charge.  They  find  out  what  they  need  to  know  in  order  to  pursue  their  goals.  

 

Attributes of a Leader 5.   Integrity:  Because  they  know  who  they  are,  

effec<ve  leaders  are  also  aware  of  their  weaknesses.  They  only  make  promises  they  can  follow  through  on.  

6.   Honesty:  Leaders  convey  an  aura  of  honesty  in  both  their  professional  and  their  personal  lives.    

7.   Trust:    Effec<ve  leaders  earn  the  trust  of  other  and  act  on  behalf  of  their  team,  staff,  circle,  followers,  and/or  colleagues.    

 

Attributes of a Leader 8.   Risk:  Effec<ve  leaders  take  calculated  risks  

when  necessary  to  achieve  their  objec<ves.  If  a  mistake  is  made,  the  effec<ve  leader  will  learn  from  the  mistake  and  use  it  as  an  opportunity  to  explore  other  avenues.  

9.   Listening:  Leaders  listen!  This  is  perhaps  the  most  important  aLribute  of  all.    

 

Leadership

• Leadership  is  the  ability  to  develop  or  hold  a  vision  that  mo.vates  others  to  move  with  a  passion  toward  a  common  goal  

 

Leadership

•  Simon  Sinek  video    •  Derek  Sivers  video  •  Two  resources  to  read  

•  People  iden<fy  two  different  kinds  of  leaders  –  “front  of  house”  and  “behind  the  scenes”  

•  We  need  both  in  our  organiza<ons  and  sectors  •  Clarify  not  just  roles  but  who  excels  in  these  two  realms,  and  are  they  placed  appropriately?    

Leadership Tip #1

• A  <tle  may  give  you  leadership  status  but  your  ac<ons  make  you  someone  who  leads  

Leadership in Staff

•  We  tend  to  hire  for  skill  sets  (experience  with  various  soUware,  ability  to  liU  40  lb,  fundraising  experience,  etc.)  

•  “We  hire  for  the  smile  and  train  the  brain”  •  AYtude  can’t  be  taught  •  We  need  to  be  looking  for  leaders,  not  just  task  do-­‐ers  

What Leaders Possess •  Knowledge  that  one’s  decisions  make  a  difference,  both  posi<vely  and  nega<vely,  in  the  lives  of  others  

•  The  ability  to  assess  the  impact  of  their  ac<ons  on  situa<ons  and  others,  and  be  cri<cally  self-­‐reflec<ve  

•  The  understanding  that  if  you  never  meet  a  challenge,  you  will  never  find  out  what  you  are  worth  

 

Leadership Tip #2

• Once  in  a  while,  a  new  idea  will  change  the  fate  of  your  farmers’  market,  organiza<on,  or  an  en<re  movement.  Dare  to  innovate.  

Being a Leader •  Think  great  thoughts.    Small  thinking  is  why  companies  go  broke  and  organiza<ons  become  irrelevant.  

•  Turn  disasters  into  opportuni<es.  Turn  every  obstacle  into  a  personal  triumph.  

•  When  you  want  to  tell  someone  something  important,  do  it  personally.  

•  Be  compassionate  when  you  review  the  work  of  others.  

•  Don’t  be  afraid  to  get  your  hands  dirty  doing  what  you  ask  others  to  do.    Make  coffee.  Sweep  a  floor.    

•  Story:  Gung  Ho    

Being a Leader •  Listen  effec<vely  •  Encourage  teamwork  and  par<cipa<on  •  Empower  team  members  and  make  sure  they  know  how  their  work  fits  into  the  bigger  picture  

•  Communicate  effec<vely  •  Make  sound  and  <mely  decisions  •  Give  people  autonomy  to  do  what  they  do  best  •  Know  yourself  and  your  team,  be  reflec<ve  •  Protect  your  team,  and  take  blame  personally  •  Have  vision,  courage  and  commitment  •  Give  credit  wherever  it  is  due  and  cheer  loudly  

 

Leadership Tip #3

• There  are  a  lot  of  great  ideas  gathering  momentum  in  the  local  and  organic  food  movements.  Is  your  organiza<on  one  of  them?  

Leadership Questions

1.  What  is  your  experience  with  leadership?    2.  What  are  the  challenges  facing  your  market  

or  organiza<on?    3.  What  helps  you  lead?    4.  What  makes  effec<ve  behind-­‐the-­‐scenes  

leadership?  (what  people  don’t  see)  5.  What  makes  effec<ve  front-­‐of-­‐house  

leadership?  (what  people  do  see)  

Summarizing Today  Rela<onship  Marke<ng  and  Branding   Customer  Service   Merchandising  and  Displays   Leadership  

•  What  one  juicy  nugget  are  you  excited  about?  •  What  invites  self-­‐reflec<on?  •  What  did  you  learn  from  someone  else  today?  •  What  ques<ons  are  leU  inside  you?