How you respond to stress defines you. It shapes your leadership, relationships and ultimately, your business’ success. The way you handle pressure doesn’t just affect your decisions – it affects everyone around you. Your employees, partners and family feel the ripple effects of your reactions, for better or worse.

Feeling good about yourself can help the family farm succeed by making you better at making decisions, dealing with problems, negotiating and leading.

Twenty-five years ago, I would have told you that topics like self confidence and insecurities were a bunch of fluff. However, I’ve been through a lot and can tell you that it is the soft issues that become hard problems in farming.

What causes 30-plus years of building a family and a farm to fall apart within five minutes? Well, there are several reasons, but one is borderline personality disorder.

The root issue this family had was that they focused on growing a successful business but didn’t focus on what it would take to grow a successful family. There wasn’t a mutual understanding about work-life balance between business partners.

Narcissism is the mental disorder of “you.” People with this disorder are arrogant, self-centered, manipulative and demanding. They are convinced they deserve special treatment. They have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat. Sometimes, it’s not fun to be around them.

People will argue that economies of scale is the determining factor for which farms will succeed and which will fail. Is this what you believe? 

Grandma was crying at the end of the kitchen table, and hate was too mild of a word to describe the feelings the two sisters-in-law had for one another.