We are so excited here at RuralScope.  We turn 20 years old in 2020.  We are celebrating by sharing 20 stories across 20 months.  These will include highlights, lowlights and learnings.  A unique insight into our development - personal and business for you.  Our aim is to share learnings to support others who live and work across rural Australia.   

This is our fifth story in the series and it’s all about remaining open to opportunities, how trust drives consultation and effective facilitation ensures long term outcomes. 

I recently attended the Brene Brown LIVE event in Australia.  WOW.  I came away committed to sharing the top 5 things I learned and to support you to apply these learnings in agriculture and beyond.  In the last two decades researcher, Dr Brene Brown has become recognised as one of the greatest leadership thinkers (and doers!) of our time.  Through her research she has found that strong leaders rely on a sense of belonging and ‘connection’ with others.  She often describes this ‘connection’ as ‘the energy that is needed between people when they feel seen, heard and valued – when they can give and receive without judgement. We certainly need more of this in agriculture.

"Courage is contagious." Brene Brown    

Here are 5 lessons Dr Brene Brown talks about with her work that are givens for effective leadership. 

We are so excited here at RuralScope.  We turn 20 years old in 2020.  We are celebrating by sharing 20 stories across 20 months.  These will include highlights, lowlights and learnings.  A unique insight into our development - personal and business for you.  Our aim is to share learnings to support others who live and work across rural Australia.   

This is our fourth story in the series - Claim Your Space - and it’s all about how having a mentor, thinking 10 years out and claiming your space in business both on and offline will contribute to your success.

We were recently introduced to this power mapping tool.  The simplicity of it rocked our world.  We have been teaching the concept of power mapping in our leadership programs for years.  We love the way this is a one page easy to understand tool. Download the tool at the bottom of this article.         

Power mapping is a leadership tool and process.  No matter what you are leading (could be an issue, policy change, campaign etc) a power map is one of the first things we suggest you do.  It’s all about the people.  It will help you and your team to identify; Your allies; Your opponents; Your targets and Your influencers (ie who can do the influencing in order to reach a specific goal.)

Each of these people exist, it’s great to be able to get clear about who is who!  It’s all about developing relationships.

I've been reflecting....

While working with a group of leaders in agriculture last week we spoke about the importance of self reflection. It was a newish idea for many and for others it isn't something they have consciously practised or built as a leadership habit.  Great leaders reflect on their behaviours, conversations and achievements each and every day.  Give it a go. 

"Leaders who don't take time to reflect regularly on themselves and where they're headed risk bumping into (avoidable) failure time and time again. Self-reflection is a humbling, yet powerful technique that helps leaders (and anyone else) to improve their performance." Unknown