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Leadership Techniques

Leadership Techniques: Farmin’ a Little Cotton

I have a friend who “farms a little cotton.” He has over 1,000 acres of his own cotton, beans, and tobacco, and gins for a couple of counties. All this in his multi-million-dollar cotton gin of his own design. A few years ago, in an average year, he ginned a little over 12 million pounds of the white stuff. Yeah, he farms a little. To say he is successful is an understatement. Yes, he has a first class set of brains; yet it is his humility that shines.

One of his leadership techniques is that when something goes wrong, he first pauses and asks, “What did I do wrong?” He really penetrates to the heart of what part he played in a problem. This goes to the heart of character, introspection. And he does it with utmost humility. Thus, he first analyzes and amends how he behaves, then implements those changes and does it over and over. This is a leader!