The Importance of Leadership Development in the Food System

Leadership is critical in the food system. Agriculture faces numerous challenges, from unpredictable weather to market fluctuations, making leadership essential. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of tailored leadership development for professionals in the industry. Working with a team we analyzed how different contexts, like agricultural production, might have influences on the concept of opinion leadership.

Study Insights:

• Leaders in the food system demonstrate less optimism and risk-taking than expected.

• Traditional notions of leadership in the food system community are challenged by these findings.

• A pattern exists where knowledgeable opinion leaders tend to skew more conservative in their attitudes.

Improving Engagement:

• Communication strategies should be customized to align with the pragmatic perspective of leaders in the food system.

• Support can be gained when lower-risk options are included in proposed initiatives.

• Knowing that knowledgeable opinion leaders tend to be cautious, messaging should be crafted to respect those attitudes.

Improving Food System Leadership Development Programs:

• Leadership training programs should include content on both optimism and risk-taking.

• Development programs can help expand the reach of food system leaders beyond the traditional boundaries of the industry.

• Specialized training should be developed to help leaders strike a balance between caution and proactive/innovative leadership habits.

Enhancing Future Initiatives:

• New recruitment practices might help engage future food system opinion leaders.

• More research is needed on food system opinion leader traits in order to create better leadership programs.

• Work with industry partners can help create and implement leadership initiatives that represent different perspectives.

Please be sure to share your insights using the comments. I've also included the full version of the manuscript if you would like to read more.

Opinion_Leadership.pdf

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Lamm, K. W., Lamm, A. J., & Carter, H. S. (2014). Opinion leadership development: Context and audience characteristics count. Journal of Agricultural Education, 55(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2014.02091