Becoming a Master Cultivator: Leadership Lessons from an Organic Farm

Aug 6

“My brother is a master cultivator.”

This simple line caught my attention as I sat with a group of business owners and leaders several months ago.

I love the word cultivate and use it often. In that moment, though, I realized his understanding of "master cultivator" went far beyond mine.

Months later, I had the opportunity to spend several hours touring his organic farm and to ask exactly what he meant by "master cultivator."

Not surprisingly, he didn't remember ever making that statement which had rattled around in my brain for months.

Quickly, though, he began explaining what it meant to cultivate on their farm—a farm that is part of an organic cooperative, with restrictions on the types of fertilizers, weed, and pest control that can be used.

At the highest level, his brother was a master cultivator because:

He had a clear vision and plan for the hundreds of acres they farm.
He understood what gave each field the best chance of success.
He took ownership and responsibility for giving each plant what it needed to thrive.

He then had become incredibly proficient at taking the small actions that are required to maximize the output of each field.

As a business owner or team leader, are you a master cultivator?

Do you have a clear vision and plan that gives everyone direction?
Have you outlined the values and behaviors that will give each team member the best chance to succeed in their roles?
Are you taking ownership and responsibility for ensuring those values are honored?

The encouraging reality is that regardless of how you answer those questions, you can become a leader who is a master cultivator.

You get there first by acknowledging that one of the most significant roles you play as a leader is to cultivate a culture where people who are hungry, humble, and smart can thrive.

Master cultivators aren’t born; they are formed by season after season of learning and staying in the game.

P.S. There is so much more I wanted to say but didn’t want to get lost in the weeds (sorry, couldn’t help myself with all this farm talk). More info is coming soon about the knowledge, understanding, and continual practices that create a master cultivator.