The Ag industry is facing challenges never seen before. Some are internal, like the imminent retirement of many skilled workers and executives or the general shortage of individuals looking to take up new roles in Ag. Others are external pressures, like increasing climate change and the constant market fluctuations in costs for everything involved in the industry. These combine to make it difficult to navigate at the best of times, and it’s rarely the best of times.

There’s one quality that separates the Ag businesses that struggle and fail and the ones that succeed. What is that quality? Innovation.

If you want your agribusiness to be the one making headlines in the future, you need to get started today. The only question is how, and to answer that; you’ve come to the right place.

Innovation Comes from the Top

Creative and innovative people exist on all levels of any company, but for a company to truly embrace innovation, you need the right people at the top.  

The Ag companies best positioned to thrive in the coming years and decades are the ones laying the groundwork for innovation today. These companies are the ones stacking their leadership teams, executive boards, and upper management with innovative people.  

You need new ideas. You need creativity. You need new ways of looking at problems and people willing to look at new problems never before seen in the Ag industry. Climate change isn’t going away. Soil erosion, the loss of biodiversity; are such challenges your agribusiness will need to face head-on and find a creative solution to succeed.

Two types of agribusiness will make it through the coming years: those who innovate and those who copy the innovators. You want your company to be the innovator.

Key Qualities of Innovative Leaders

When it comes time to replace retiring executives, build a new leadership team, or refresh your current roster, you need to find new people who have the capacity for innovation. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to spot these individuals.

You can look for qualities typically shared by innovative leaders. These qualities include:

• Risk tolerance. Innovation is not without risk, and the risk-averse will never innovate.
• Collaborative outlook. Innovation isn’t a one-person show; it’s the result of a team working together to brainstorm and refine ideas.
• Observant. The best innovators observe the situation from many angles. They talk to anyone and everyone, from the freshest new hire to the oldest hands, to get varied perspectives. They synthesize this information into a comprehensive picture before they start making decisions.
• Action-oriented. Innovators don’t wait to take action once they’ve decided on their path. They’re leaders, not followers. They’ll be the ones in the headlines, whether they work for your company or for your competitors.

The truth is, though, it’s not just about rockstar executives. To succeed in the coming future of the Ag industry, your company doesn’t just need an innovative leader; it needs an innovative team.

Hiring the Leaders of the Future

If your agribusiness needs to build a team of innovative leaders, look no further than Ag 1 Source. Our recruiters are made up of experienced, innovative executives and top-level managers in the Ag industry. We know innovation when we see it and can help you find not just individuals, but teams capable of navigating the troubled waters of the future.  

Whether you need a fresh perspective to work with an existing team or a whole new team of innovators to help push your company to the next level, you should reach out to us today. We can meet and exceed your needs, supply you with the executive team you deserve, and pioneer the groundbreaking vision necessary to push the boundary of the future.