Not only is an agricultural leader challenged to fulfill the responsibilities of the role but they have ownership to their peers, who selected them to serve as the leader of an organization or committee.
Serving in a leadership role involves taking on new responsibilities and challenges and also being committed to that responsibility.
In my doctoral research, I interviewed 12 beef industry leaders to learn more about “What Brings People to Leadership – A Study of Beef Industry Leaders,” and one of the primary roles of a leader identified in the study was responsibility.
A leader must “be willing to carry the bucket – regardless of how heavy the bucket may be,” commented one study participant as he described the importance of responsibility.
At times the load can be heavy when one is serving in a leadership role and at times it can be overwhelming – but what helps in defining a leader is someone who is not just willing to occasionally carry the bucket, but willing and prepared to carry it regardless of how heavy the burden may be. This requires a strong commitment on behalf of the leader.
Leaders were also described as those who are willing to take their turn at digging ditches or rolling up their sleeves and working hard.
Oftentimes in their role, leaders must be pushing the envelope, moving the group forward, studying the issues ahead of time and sometimes saying things others don’t want to hear but that may need to be voiced to advance the organization or the industry.
Fulfilling the role of responsibility as a leader means they regularly have to take a stand on the tough issues and be the front person for the organization.
The responsibilities are great for leaders – and the decisions they make or positions they take may not always be what is popular.
But along with the role of responsibility comes the willingness to make a decision and stand by that decision. As described by one of the study participants, “you have to be able to admit when you’re wrong.”
Strong leaders were described as those who took on the really hard issues, were committed to the issues and carried a consistent message to their followers.
Steve Jobs, past CEO of Apple, is a good example of a leader who was committed to the responsibility associated with the role of a leader.
He started Apple in 1976 with partner Steve Wozniak and in four years the company went public and sold 4.6 million shares.
But Apple did face tough times and Jobs left in 1985 after being pushed out by executives of the company he started. During its early success, Apple sold 14.6 percent of all personal computers in the U.S., but by 1997 that was down to 3.5 percent.
The failing company came to Jobs for help. Jobs came back and immediately took action, making the tough decisions to dismiss most of the board members and fire several of the top executives.
He made decisions that appeared to go against the grain of Apple’s prior thinking when he joined partnership with his competitor Bill Gates of Microsoft, but Jobs knew he was responsible to lead the company in the right direction.
Jobs understood the responsibility he had as leader of Apple and the necessity to be the decision-maker.
Along with decision-making comes the challenge of information and time. “Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time to analyze all the aspects of the situation; sometimes you have to just make the best decision you have with the information on hand when you are a leader,” stated a study participant.
Leaders must be decisive people who are able to make decisions, and followers should understand that leaders can only make decisions with the information they have on hand.
Leaders demonstrate responsibility and accountability by working alongside their peers. As a leader and past president of a state cattlemen’s organization, one study participant said he would never ask anyone to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.
Part of the role of responsibility of a leader is to be right there helping out others, working alongside the membership or employees in efforts to identify and solve the issues.
Importance of responsibility
In agricultural organizations, the responsibilities of leaders are vast. Not only do the leaders have to fulfill the responsibility of their role as an individual and personally meet the commitment which they agreed to serve, but they must fulfill the responsibility of the organization to the industry.
In a time when agriculture and the beef industry is faced with rapid changes, challenging decisions lie ahead for its leaders and commitment to accommodate the needs of the industry are abundant.
Sometimes the decisions to be made are tough decisions and sometimes not so tough, but as an agricultural industry leader the responsibility of your role is to move the industry in a positive direction.
It is easy to look from the outside in and wonder why leaders have made the decisions they have.
As the 12 study participants reflected back on their experiences in rising to leadership roles and where they are today – they have gained much admiration for their peer leaders in volunteer roles who are giving of their time to make the tough and challenging decisions for the industry and they have gained great respect for the commitment and responsibility of the role of a leader. 
B. Lynn Gordon
Extension Field Specialist
South Dakota State University
