Jake Gouldie: Being Thoughtful, Purposeful and Decisive in Leadership

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

In today’s episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast, Mark sits down with Jake Gouldie, a seasoned District Manager from Syngenta based in Kansas. Jake shares his profound insights on intentional leadership, the importance of direct communication, and the nuances of managing a geographically dispersed team.

Throughout the episode, Jake emphasizes the significance of being thoughtful, purposeful, and direct in leadership. He introduces the concept of the "three Ds" of intentional leadership: being thoughtful, purposeful, and decisive. Jake discusses his leadership journey, particularly his transition to leading people and how trust, clarity, and collaboration play key roles in his strategy. He also delves into the challenges and opportunities in the seed industry, highlighting the importance of adaptability and innovation in agribusiness. For those keen on talent attraction and retention, Jake’s emphasis on personal development plans and creating a culture of respect and trust offers invaluable insights.

Key Takeaways:

• Three Ds of Leadership: Thoughtfulness, purposefulness, and decisiveness form the backbone of effective and intentional leadership.
• Trust and Communication: Building trust and maintaining clear, direct communication are crucial for leading a geographically dispersed team.
• Collaborative Goal Setting: Cultivating a culture of collaboration where goals are set together and focusing on the delta (gap) improves team dynamics and goal achievement.
• Continuous Development: Investing in personal development plans and creating opportunities for team members to grow professionally helps in talent retention.
• Vulnerability in Leadership: Being open and vulnerable as a leader fosters trust and respect among team members.

Notable Quotes:

• “For me, I think I can boil it down to a few things. One, be thoughtful, be purposeful. Number two, and I think the third one that probably gets overlooked a lot for me when it comes to being intentional, is being direct.” - Jake Gouldie
• “Intentional leadership has to be decisive. It doesn't wait around. It doesn't wait to be told.” - Mark Jewell
• “For me, the biggest wind, though, is there's people that were on it, you know, one of the first teams I managed seven or eight years ago, and I get their Christmas cards and their baby announcements. And to me, that is actually one of the biggest wins.” - Jake Gouldie
• “You have to be comfortable with your leader. You don't always have to be comfortable with the task or the direction.” - Jake Gouldie
• “Focus on the controllables. It's a lot easier to keep your energy up if you don't spend a lot of time thinking about the things that you can't change or control.” - Jake Gouldie

For a deep dive into intentional leadership and to gain more practical insights from industry professionals like Jake Gouldie, be sure to listen to the full episode. Stay tuned for more enlightening content from the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast.