From the Editor

Authors in our publication write about the difficulty of succession in business. (See this issue’s article about the challenges of succession when siblings are involved, Sibling partners: a special family business stage.) Recently, the Wall Street Journal captured J.W. Marriott’s thoughts on succession.

I’ve often wondered over the years if other professions were encouraged to advocate for themselves in the way farmers and ag industry representatives are. I’ve seen my fair share of teacher appreciation posts on social media, and I know there are plenty of blogs from nurses and other health care professionals.

You may not think of yourself as the CEO for your dairy because you don’t wear a tie or have a corner office, but you are a chief executive officer. Once you’ve come to terms with your C-suite status, I would recommend you read a recent article from the Harvard Business Review.

I recently attended a small conference involving several people I have associated with for years. There came an awkward time in the day’s agenda when we were directed to pair up with someone we didn’t know well personally, spending five minutes asking each other questions.

We’ve been surveying readers lately – both in print and in person. One of the most intriguing things I’ve learned is: You don’t have much time to read, if you have any time for it at all.

Perhaps you recall the editorial from our January issue where I talked about choosing “one word” to live by in 2017, and perhaps you chose your own. My word for this year is “fearless” and, with the help of an 11-year-old, I am finding out just what it means for me.