When it comes to leadership, so much has been written about behavioural attributes that it’s easy to assume leadership is all about charisma, communication skills or the ability to inspire. But the reality is much more complex.
Leadership is not just about how someone acts or interacts, it’s also about capability and merit – and it’s this understanding of good leadership that drives our Executive Search here at Agri Talent.
Leadership is about matching capability with the role
Highly capable people, when placed in the right roles, are naturally recognised as leaders. However, when that same person is placed in a role outside their area of expertise or at a level where they lack capability, their leadership effectiveness suffers. So what’s going on?
At Agri Talent, we know that leadership success extends well beyond social process skills. Attributes like communication and interpersonal skills are important, but they’re just one part of the equation. Successful leadership actually involves a complex combination of knowledge, technical skills, intellect, social acumen, ethics, energy and motivation. Crucially, it’s making the right match between a person’s capabilities and the demands of the role that truly creates leadership excellence – and that’s what we do every day, here at Agri Talent.
The role of merit in leadership
Merit also plays a pivotal role in determining the success of a leader – it’s crucial that agribusiness leaders not only have the experience but also the technical know-how to make critical decisions in their field. When an individual is recognised as a good leader, it’s often because they’ve demonstrated success in the areas most relevant to their role. Conversely, someone who excels in one area may not thrive in another, particularly if the new role demands skills or expertise they haven’t yet developed. It’s not that they’ve stopped being a leader, but just that their current capabilities don’t align with the new challenges. That’s why truly getting to know an agribusiness and understanding the role is so crucial to the Executive Search team at Agri Talent – only when we do that, can we find the right person for the right role.
Ensuring the right leadership fit
When recruiting for senior positions, especially in agriculture where specialised knowledge is crucial, it’s important to look beyond behavioural attributes and instead find a candidate whose capabilities are perfectly aligned with the role’s requirements.
At Agri Talent, we do this with an in-depth assessment of the candidate’s:
- technical expertise
- industry knowledge
- problem-solving skills
- ability to adapt to organisational culture.
We know that matching the right person to the right role is key, and the stakes are high when it comes to placing the right leader in your senior team. Our Executive Search approach goes beyond surface-level qualities to look at the full range of leadership traits required for success, and the people we put forward for our clients’ roles are not only good communicators but also highly capable, knowledgeable and ready to deliver outstanding results in agribusiness.