Drought Resistant Leaders - Part III
Several years ago we had a drought at our farm that lasted about four years. We didn’t know it would be three more years during that first year. In fact, we didn’t know that we were in a drought until we were already about a year into it!
Farms don’t work very well without water. I know that is profound, but very true. Irrigation can only cover a certain portion of land. Needless to say we made it through. Yet, the lessons we learned were invaluable.
Once you know you are in a drought…
- Plan - Assume you will be in a dry period for a period of time and plan accordingly with contingency plans for all possibilities.
- Invest in what is most drought-resistant - We shifted from planting more corn to more wheat, which handles drought conditions better than corn (it needs less water).
- Shift Expectations, not Attitude - We couldn’t do anything about it. We prayed and longed for rain, but we were not in charge of that category. We did lower our expectations, however, and started smiling again with a good attitude to go along with it.
There are some things out of your control. Do your best, plan wisely, smile more.
For YOU!
Posted on December 12, 2008 in Leader Development
2 Comments
Luke Crown said...
These are some great thoughts about how to handle things we can’t control. I get to experience these thoughts first hand, but it is great to have these ideas presented so clearly.
Comment by Luke Crown - Dec 12, 2008 @ 02:47 PM
Rachel McKenna said...
I think point #2 is really important. Makes me think about how sometimes we aren’t willing to shift our plans because it is uncomfortable/inconvenient, but flexibility is crucial so that we don’t just plug away doing pointless things.
If you had kept planting corn during that drought, you probably would have experienced the effects of the drought even more dramatically. This idea leads me to ask questions like:
1. Why am I doing this project THIS way? Is there a more effective way for me to do it?
2. How should I shift my plans in relation to the current needs of my customers and company?
Thanks for the insight!
Comment by Rachel McKenna - Dec 12, 2008 @ 08:11 PM