Ending up short-handed on the ranch because one of your employees suddenly quit or you had to let an employee go because they were not fulfilling their role is costly, time-consuming and frustrating.

Currently, I am a member of South Dakota Agricultural Rural Leadership (SDARL) program – Class VII. SDARL was initiated 15 years ago with the goal of assisting program participants in gaining the vision, knowledge, confidence and commitment necessary to assume leadership roles in South Dakota’s agricultural industry. This goal is accomplished through a 55-day intensive educational program spanning over 18 months, including both classroom and field experiences.

Calving season is in full swing and the days are long and the nights even longer. Tempers can get short and the stress level rises across the ranching world.

Communication is at the core of many things we do in our lives.

As summer wraps up, agricultural youth nationwide have been busy competing in 4-H and junior livestock events. Showing livestock and participating in these competitions provides the opportunity for young people to build lifelong skills they can carry forward in their careers and their daily life.

Stepping into the role of leadership brings with it responsibility, and agricultural leaders are no different than a leader in the corporate world. People are selected as leaders because of their vision and willingness to serve but also because of their willingness to fulfill the responsibilities of the role.

Are you looking for a new book to read on the topic of leadership? An Internet search on Amazon will find 83,270 matches when you search for “leadership books.”