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Developing Future Ag Leaders with Elizabeth Galbreath
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Through uncertain times in agriculture, the best leaders rise to the top when they put people first and show up when the path forward isn’t clear.
Elizabeth Galbraith, Professional Development Program Manager at BASF and the 2025 AFA Bridge Builder Award recipient, joins The Cultivating Leaders Podcast to share why investing in relationships is the true competitive advantage in agriculture and leadership. From growing up on a Maryland dairy farm to mentoring early-career professionals across the ag industry, Elizabeth reflects on how believing in people, embracing uncertainty, and leading with authenticity can shape careers and cultures.
Elizabeth gets real about:
- Building bridges: why leadership is about making the path easier for those who come after you
- Embracing the gray: navigating uncertainty, change, and complexity without losing your sense of purpose
- Knowing yourself as a leader: why self-awareness, boundaries, and emotional regulation are powerful
This episode will remind you that progress in agriculture depends just as much on human connection as it does on innovation.
Want to hear more from Elizabeth? Check out her blog here!
Connect with Elizabeth
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About The Cultivating Leaders Podcast
Real stories. Practical advice. Tangible growth. Join The Cultivating Leaders Podcast, brought to you by Agriculture Future of America, as we explore what it takes to lead in food, agriculture, and beyond. Whether you’re just starting out or leading at the highest level, this podcast is your go-to resource for leadership that matters. Listen now and start cultivating your leadership journey.
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Transcript
Unique Challenges for the Younger Generation
00:00:02
Speaker
The challenges that this generation are facing are hard in a different way. Sometimes I feel like when I hear phrases like that, it's like, wow, they have it so easy. I'm like, no, imagine them growing up in a world where COVID happened or where like they get all of their news from TikTok or like it's just a very different world and it's just not apples to apples.
Introduction to Cultivating Leaders Podcast
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome to the Cultivating Leaders podcast, where we get inside the minds of leaders to harvest great ideas and lessons that help you grow as a difference maker in food and agriculture. I'm your host and curiosity captain, Nicole Ersing.
00:00:37
Speaker
Today's guest is a master at building meaningful relationships that last. She mentors young professionals, collaborates across sectors, and fosters partnerships that advance the future of
Elizabeth Galbraith's Role and Recognition
00:00:47
Speaker
agriculture. Elizabeth Galbraith serves as the professional development program manager for BASF and was recently named the 2025 AFA bridge builder, recognized for her commitment to strengthening the agriculture industry through connection. From her start on a small Maryland dairy farm to her role shaping the next generation of ag leaders, Elizabeth's journey is proof that relationships are the real competitive advantage.
00:01:11
Speaker
Elizabeth, welcome to the pod. Thank you so much for having me I'm excited. I'm so excited that you're here. What did I miss from your bio that someone might not know about you either that I didn't tell them or maybe they wouldn't even get from your following me on LinkedIn or something?
00:01:23
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, that's a loaded question. um I have a lifelong journey of helping people understand that brown cows don't make chocolate milk. That's important. I grew up a really big Orioles fan and Ravens fan because my grandmother made the jerseys for those teams. And I'm the youngest child, and I feel like that says a lot about me too. So those are probably important things about me. Do you believe in birth order? Oh yeah, very much. Okay, I do too. Yeah, I'm the oldest and it shows. Yes, yes. And I'm the only girl and that shows as well. So ah that's a whole different podcast episode, but I firmly believe in that.
00:01:59
Speaker
Awesome. Oh, I love
From Dairy Farm to Professional Development
00:02:00
Speaker
it. So Elizabeth, tell me, how did you find your career journey into this space where it's all about? developing and growing people and helping connect folks into the next phase of, you know, ah honestly, that college to career bridge. Yes. I am a product of 4-H, so I have to give 4-H all the credit. I remember going to my first 4-H club meeting, and literally, I was such a shy kid that I held my mom's leg. Like, I was wrapped around her, kind of like a sloth on my mom's leg, and just was terrified of it.
00:02:31
Speaker
And I remember doing my first demonstration or, like, public speaking thing, and I think I was... seven or eight years old on how to fit a dairy cow, which I didn't really know how to do. And I remember getting energy from that and being like, I thought I was supposed to be terrified of these things. So I knew that there was something that 4-H was igniting in me that was really special. And i just continued to foster that and kind of steward that as it as I went forward. So I had this dream really of of being a dairy farmer, just like my dad.
00:03:01
Speaker
And then because of 4-H, I really found interest in extension. And so I went to college to be an extension agent. I wanted to be a 4-H youth development agent and wanted to literally be in my home county in Maryland forever. And somewhere along the journey, and it's important to mention too, my dad told me we had about 250, 300 cows at that point. And I told him I wanted to be just like him. i wanted to be a dairy farmer. And he told me, nope, there's not really a future for people that like operations of size that we are for kind of how we do things. And we sold our cows, we moved into agritourism. And so I just say that of I was told no pretty early on.
00:03:39
Speaker
And the extension option was really what I wanted to pursue. So I went to college to do that and came to my first AFA Leaders Conference. Also because of my dad. He found it in the John Deere Furrow magazine one day and was like, hey, leadership stuff in ag. You would like this. You should try to find it. So through my involvement with AFA, i basically found out that you can help people in ag outside of being an extension agent. And i I guess I really thought that helping people in this industry was really through extension because I just loved it. And that was my life growing up.
00:04:08
Speaker
So when I had the opportunity to to learn more about different careers, I also thought about it. My dad, you know, loved his milk truck driver. He had a great relationship with him. He had still has a great relationship with a seed salesman. Like these are different things that it's like, oh, like that is a beautiful part of the ag industry. So think. I took a lot of advice from mentors and it was really trying to figure out what I wanted to do. And I heard a lot about sales programs as you started out in your career and the idea of getting paid to learn rather than paying to learn in college, especially when I was paying out of state tuition at Virginia Tech, was very appealing to me. And I really idolized, i think, for my time at AFA, how much the crop science sector had really invested into early career development. So I started looking at those programs and...
00:04:55
Speaker
Long story short, I ended up in BASF's professional development program, and that was because of AFA. And the leadership there really did a kind thing and asked me for some insight of how to connect with young people in ag when I was there and kind of brought me into some youth-related projects, which was really special. And then I ended up having the chance to work at AFA after that. And so it was kind of a subtle start into it. Like the intention was always there. i didn't expect to go into corporate, but because people believed in me, it gave me a little bit of an opportunity. And then AFA certainly gave me opportunity. And then continue to build that in my next couple of jobs. I think it's just been focused on that completely, but definitely would have never said that I would expect to get here through all of that. I think a lot of us can say that about our career journeys. I was talking to a class at K-State earlier this week, and I told them, I was like, I never thought I would end up in the animal
00:05:46
Speaker
industry. yeah And I love it. Yeah. And same here. When I started to work for an animal health company, it was like, I love cows, but did I expect to work for this company? No. had no idea the job even existed. It sounds to me like the human aspect of agriculture. Like you, you like cows and crops and all the things that you have a passion in the same way the rest of us do, but it's the human side for you that really drives you. yeah Tell me more about why that is and what it is about humans and relationships and and growing other people that just, even when I say that, I can see your eyes light up. What is it that
The Importance of Human Connections in Agriculture
00:06:18
Speaker
drives you? I think that you can really always learn, and like, the crop stuff. You can always learn the the animal stuff or whatever it is, the technology side of things. But there's just something really beautiful about believing in people and giving them an opportunity to turn into something that they never expected for themselves. So Going back to that 4-H story, like if I didn't have 4-H to get me in front of people for the first time to be like, oh, I'm not terrified of this like normal people, I guess. um Or to have the opportunity to to work on a record book and take care of something that was not me. Like have that, um at my first cow's name was Ethel, I talk about her all the time. um But like I just learned to take care of something outside of myself. And I think learning from really early age that that is where the magic of life happens when it's outside of yourself and it's in service to something bigger than you. And so I love giving people the opportunities that I had to become a better version of myself when I was younger and continue to have people pour into me and do that. So i think, I just think that's what life is about. I don't think that life is necessarily about all the technical skills we have. Certainly and that's important, right? But I just think that the magic is in how do you make people's lives better, but how do you also make yourself better? That's something I've gotten really passionate about too, is leadership isn't just about
00:07:31
Speaker
making other people better, but you have to show up for you and take care of you before you can do that for other people. So I think that's a season of life I'm in of kind of marrying those two. But I think that also is hopeful for, hopeful and helpful, I would say, for the people that are coming up, I guess, behind my generation is they're more aware of that, but I also never, I never want people in ag to feel so overwhelmed by the change in the industry, or, you know, the science is really hard to understand, like, people, you can do it, you just have to have somebody to believe in you, kind of help coach you, and that's cool that I get to be one of those people. Yeah, absolutely, I think, too, the science and technical part of agriculture, which I love that piece of it, it, like, lights me up to learn about it yeah, You're right. There can be a point where you become an expert yeah in the science and the technology and the application of something or even in the industry as a whole. But I don't know that any of us ever fully master the human side.
00:08:29
Speaker
It's something that's like you always have to grow and evolve and change. And there's always another piece to learn. Whereas like you can get to a point where you're like yeah, I know a lot. and And there are and I love smart people like that. But the the self-development and the service of other people like that job is never done yeah and I think maybe that's probably why that's a beautiful way to say i think it's probably why get so excited about it and I just always think I can be better you know and I look at everything as how do we learn from this scenario even if it's a difficult conversation or it's just like wow I really messed up when I did that it's just really uh it's really cool to know that the job's never done in that area of life so that's I love how you said that
00:09:08
Speaker
So what are you learning about in leadership right now for yourself?
Focus on Self-Awareness and Emotional Regulation
00:09:12
Speaker
Oh, loaded question as well. Again, I'll touch on this. I've become a bit of a nerd, especially in the last year or so, about what it means to show up well yourself and emotional regulation, nervous system and regulation. i just grew up being such a people pleaser that I never understood how I felt internally. Like I would just go, I would say yes, I wouldn't pause. I would always do things for other people. And I'll be clear, like, that's, that has benefited me a lot in my life, and I think given me a lot of opportunity, but also credibility of of being there for other people. However, there are some things that just, when you go, go, go, you hit either burnout, or you hit a place that
00:09:54
Speaker
you are just doing things you don't even know who you are anymore. And I think I, um there are a bit of seasons of in my life that if I'm honest, like, I lost control of really knowing where my compass was. And I've come back to that and I feel better than ever in it. And some of it comes down to literally just remembering to like,
00:10:14
Speaker
do a couple of minutes a day where you don't think about anything. You can call it mindfulness meditation if you want to. That's kind of how I phrase it. But sometimes that feels cheesy to people. But that or going on walks every day and like literally being like, what do I feel in my body right now? Like, oh, my stomach kind of hurts. What's going on there? i just never listen to that. And so I'm realizing that I have to really be aware of myself and take care of myself before I can do that for other people.
00:10:37
Speaker
And I just took a ah new role at BASF where I now manage a lot of people who are early in their careers, and I don't think there's anything more important than knowing yourself before you step into a scenario, and so I want to model that for them.
00:10:50
Speaker
And i also, the other thing that I'm learning is, even though that I think I'm seeing a ah trend in the and young people right now, because I work directly with early career folks, that there's a lot of expectations of like, you know, industry is hard to understand, but expectations of like, okay, well, I want this in a job, flexibility. I want, you know, this salary, this job title pretty much out of school. And for me,
00:11:22
Speaker
What I'm learning about leadership outside of the knowing myself thing is also how important it is to set expectations early and to have those conversations of like, hey, I love that goal. I love that for you. But also even my time here at AFA Leaders Conference this weekend, I have been talking a lot about...
00:11:39
Speaker
The first three years of your career is about building credibility and experience. And so I i really want a person that is a transparent example or voice within like what industry really looks like. But I am learning that those conversations earlier and earlier in college, even if before they get a job, especially when they start a job, of, hey, like, I love those goals, have those goals, but you have to say it out loud. Like, you can't just say you get a year into your job and you have a performance review and it's like, well, I feel like I deserve a raise. Well, we never talked about what was actually raise-worthy or, like, promotion-worthy, right? So I think having those conversations early on, setting expectations or agreements is ah really crucial to just having a good dynamic with the people on your team.
00:12:26
Speaker
oh Yeah. Well, and I think that leads me to a question I'm curious. Since you get to work with such early career people, what do leaders today need to do differently to be able to lead this group of people that are coming in?
00:12:40
Speaker
Because you're right, they come in with like, they have some expectations that are different than probably you and I had when we went into the workplace. Mm-hmm. And I love that they're good at setting boundaries or asking, like they are so much good at things that at least i can say I wasn't when I first started. and also it can be jarring when you're in a leadership role and you're like, you're just a kid and you have a lot to learn. So how do we as like leaders of this generation be better serve them?
00:13:06
Speaker
I think it is so important that everyone and takes a second and just level
Leading the New Generation: Building Relationships
00:13:12
Speaker
sets. We all want the same things. We all want trust. We want transparency. We want stability in a job.
00:13:18
Speaker
Some of those rankings for each person go differently, but I've done some work in this and did some internal research um at my last company. And no matter what age range you're in, you want those things. It's just how you describe it or how you show it comes in differently, right?
00:13:35
Speaker
So we're not all, is what I'm trying to say. And I think so starting starting with that and then also trying to build a personal relationship with people outside of work, I always think it's important because it's really easy to be like, well,
00:13:49
Speaker
They don't understand what it's like. i remember in my previous company, the benefits change and the the vacation policy change that there were you know more days off at the start of your career. And some of the people that have been there longer we're really upset because...
00:14:05
Speaker
wow, we've worked 30 years to get that much time off, right? Totally valid, you know, but also somebody that was earlier in my career was like, thank you so much for this time off, right? And i can absolutely see why there's frustration there, but again, we we both probably want that benefit, but we also both want to work for a good company and understand that that comes with a lot of hard work, right? And i use that example because I think,
00:14:30
Speaker
Sometimes it's really easy to put each other at the other end of the spectrum when in reality you're just a lot closer than you think. So building those personal relationships is really important and understanding that we want the same things is key.
00:14:43
Speaker
the The other thought that I have related to just leading them is they want to know the why behind things. And so I really, whenever I encourage somebody, whether it's with an intern or an early career professional, I'm You can absolutely always ask them to do things, but always explain the greater context of why this work matters. Like, they don't just want to do things to do things. They will do things that they have to, we all do.
00:15:08
Speaker
And sometimes maybe they need some affirmation of like, hey, this is important, even though it's making copies of something, whatever. But explain the importance of like, okay, you... Printing copies, this is a really silly example, but you printing these copies means that everybody is prepared at the start of the meeting and it looks like we're ready to go and going have a great experience, right?
00:15:27
Speaker
Like that's just, just take the time to explain that. um And I just think that they, this generation is, which is amazing, they just want to always know that what they're doing matters.
00:15:39
Speaker
So if you can just instill that culture on your team, regardless of generation, I think that that's going to go a really long way. and making them just feel like they obviously i don't need to make all of the decisions, but continuously, regardless, again, a generation, just making them feel like their voice is heard and you ask them for their opinion.
00:15:57
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I think ah employee engagement and is so simple. it's It's such simple concepts, and we ah we make it so complicated. And look, humans are complicated in general, but like even what you said, all of us want to know that our work matters. Yeah. and And sometimes it is someone saying like, hey, what you are doing right now, here's the what that outcome is creating and here's why it matters. And that gives someone so much more like ownership and excitement about what may be, what may feel like a mundane task.
00:16:28
Speaker
Yes. Yes, 100%. And something I just thought of when you were talking um little bit different, but something I've noticed too is i think this world has changed in so fast too. And this goes back to every employee, but it's something I'm noticing when it comes to building trust in early career folks is i the way that I talk to my team about it is like truth changes every day in the industry or in corporate America or you know, your organization, like things are just changing all the time. And so if I share with them, like this decision was made today, and then they can email tomorrow, hey, budget cuts or whatever, you can't do that anymore.
00:17:06
Speaker
Whenever I like meet with them for the first time, I try to help them understand like, hey, I just want you to know in this fast-paced environment, you will see things change, but I will always be upfront with you when I know that.
00:17:17
Speaker
And I think that hopefully, I mean, I'm i'm pretty new into but hopefully build some credibility. But I do think that also matters a lot when it comes to working with early career folks because they they don't know.
00:17:28
Speaker
if you don't tell them along the process, you don't need to update them on every step, right? However, um you're not gonna build trust with them if they don't feel like you are being forthcoming with information. In some cases, it's fine for them to come to you and ask those questions, but sometimes you have to show initiative too and not just be passive with that.
00:17:46
Speaker
What was true yesterday is maybe different than what's true today, whether it's market shifts or the darn weather or a company corporate decision. Yeah, our tractor literally not working. Like yesterday, we had a great plan, and today we don't. You know, it's just how it goes.
00:18:00
Speaker
You know, something else you said, too, i really really connected with me.
Easing the Path for the Next Generation
00:18:05
Speaker
We were kind of talking about generational changes, but, like, we all want the same thing. And last night as we were talking so much about bridge building and that bridge builder poem, And the whole point of building bridges is making it easier for other people who come behind you.
00:18:20
Speaker
And when we think about leading younger people who are getting more things earlier than maybe we got in our careers or us getting it than the people above us.
00:18:31
Speaker
And I can understand how frustrating that is of like, well, we had to earn it. yeah And it's like, yeah, you did. And you earned it for you. And you also ended up earning it for us yeah and for those people. And so, yeah, it can be frustrating that it was harder for you. But isn't it so amazing that it's now easier for other people?
00:18:48
Speaker
Yes. And the challenges that this generation are facing are hard in a different way. Like, I don't, I, sometimes I feel like when I hear phrases like that, it's like, wow, they have it so easy. I'm like, no, imagine, imagine them growing up in a world.
00:19:04
Speaker
where COVID happened or where like they get all of their news from TikTok or like it's just a very different world. And so it's just not apples to apples. And so I love that you said that. and I do think it's important that people realize that, hey, their their challenges are, they might not be the Great Depression or whatever it was, but they're still pretty significant and they absolutely change how they see the world.
00:19:25
Speaker
And if it's not days off, it's it's something else that's harder for them. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think that's important yeah important
Bridge Building: Creating Paths and Sharing Stories
00:19:32
Speaker
to think about. of just where We all have struggles. They're just going look different in different contexts.
00:19:39
Speaker
So, Elizabeth, you are our Bridge Builder Award winner. I'm curious, what does bridge building mean and look like for you? Well, you just really said it in what you just talked about. i i really think about the paving a way for people to have it easier to come after you.
00:19:58
Speaker
And sometimes when it comes through advocating for other people. Sometimes that means connecting other people to opportunities to to other humans as well. And sometimes that means just sharing your story honestly. And I think I tried to do that. And, you know, even this conversation is an example of that.
00:20:15
Speaker
um I don't think that... um I think it's really about like just letting your light shine in whatever capacity that looks like. And for me, that comes through a lot of speaking and writing and and working with people in my working world.
00:20:29
Speaker
But for other people, it's you know starting their own business or it's you know being a first-generation farmer or... you know, it's being first-generation college student, whatever, like, it's paving a path that maybe was not easy for you or definitely was not easy for you based on the poem, and then trying to make it easier for someone else to come behind you and doing that, and think part of the reason in that that poem resonates with me, too, is because I just, as I've talked about before, there are so many people who did that for me, even it was just like, hey, Elizabeth, I think that you should look into this, even, again, my dad with that John Deere magazine, like, just an example of someone being like, hey,
00:21:03
Speaker
I didn't have that opportunity, Elizabeth, when I was in college. You would really like that. You should consider that and look where I am now. Has that always come easy for you? I mean, I was really shy as a kid, like I talked about. So probably not in that capacity. would say... I don't know what shifted. would say actually really struggled in a lot of ways growing up. 4-H was like the place that I felt really safe.
00:21:28
Speaker
So I talk about that all the time. But for the most part... Once I got to maybe a high school, I started like 4-H camp was kind of the the mechanism where I started doing that of really encouraging people at that summer camp and and helping them like feel really confident and who they are, being goofy and like wearing really wild clothes and singing out the top of your lungs. That's where I think I got my a lot of my confidence. So I say that, that was being a camp counselor and pouring it into that that group of youth was really pivotal for me, and I think it ignited that in me. And there's probably a lot of people that relate to summer camp being impactful, but that's really my story.
00:22:09
Speaker
I would say once I got to college, I felt like I had a really awesome, I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, and I was really nervous about, i mean, there's stereotypes with that, but I was nervous about it for several reasons.
00:22:26
Speaker
particularly being the only ag kid. And I grew up almost an hour before where I went to high school. And I was like, I'm going to be, I'm going to be like the smelly dairy kid that comes in and they're gonna be like, what is this girl doing? Right. So I think me being different in high school ah was terrifying, but exciting because the more I told people about me, the more people gravitated to me for being who I really was. And they were like, don't know anything about cows. Can you tell me about cows? They grew up a lot in the suburbs, kind of a Baltimore area.
00:22:55
Speaker
So I really enjoyed that. and I started of being like an advocate for the industry, ended up becoming a dairy process. And there was just so many things. I was like, oh, being myself is really actually in a way people gravitate to me, which was really special.
00:23:08
Speaker
And so when I went to that Catholic All Girls High School, I ended up going to Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech has a great agriculture school. And i was like so ready. was like, I'm to join all the clubs. so I'm going all the ag stuff, right? Because I didn't have a chance in my school, in high school. So I say this because when I went to college, I think I was building up a skill set in high school to,
00:23:31
Speaker
I came over some hardship, I would say, in middle school, and then got to high school, grew that confidence, and then in college, I was ready to deploy it, and then I just went and did that, and and got really connected to student government, to different organizations in the College of Ag, and really throughout the whole university, and so I would say, um just got really excited about everything, and I started talking to people, and was like, oh my gosh, you should meet this person, and I focused so much on my relationships in college, and It just felt like it's a beautiful place and time to do it in your life, right? Because everybody's close. So I would say since then, and then AFA where so many people just kind of believed in me and they're like, hey, you should meet this person.
00:24:08
Speaker
it just hasn't felt like it's ever been a strategy. It just kind of has happened. And that's really what has a made a difference in my life. So it just, it's what I did for other people. and don't know if I've ever really thought about it.
00:24:19
Speaker
I like what you said of like, it it's not a strategy. It's more of you being who you are. Yeah. And I think that that is so special because ah even in AFA, we talk a lot about like your network as a personal asset and thinking about and being intentional with building your network and building those relationships. But it can feel like a manipulative leadership strategy of I need to make connections. I need to, you know, get the business card. I need eat that kind of thing.
00:24:45
Speaker
But I think what I'm hearing you say, and we've done a few of these this week, so my brain is swimming in all of the conversations that we've gotten have is, the best way to actually build those relationships, is knowing yourself and being your authentic self, yeah and then you can But in, in i guess, yes and to that, I would say it's not going to be easy to, like, you're going to have to put yourself out there. Sometimes it's not going to be a natural connection. i talk all the time. I'm really passionate about helping people know when to follow up and when, like, I
00:25:19
Speaker
in the networking is really not about what you can get from other people. It is about just an authentic relationship, and I really believe in that. And so I say that because that it just it's kind of like dating. like You're just going to have to put yourself out there and get rejected sometimes. And if it's not a two-way street, then the relationship doesn't move forward. like That's just what a relationship is, right?
00:25:40
Speaker
But I say that just because, yes, it's all about being your authentic self. It's going to hurt sometimes. like You're going have to grow... by putting yourself out there and like, hello, Nicole, here is my business card. It's going be really hard. And I, even people I really look up to who are at 8th Day Leaders Conference, it is so uncomfortable, even for me now, that I've known them for 10 years, like walk up to them, because I just respect them and appreciate them and admire them so much to be like, hey, I would love to catch up with you. That's still hard for me. Like I still have imposter syndrome of like, am I worthy of this time that you would spend with me? So I just to acknowledge that of like, it's not ever you master it, even if you know the people for a while.
00:26:19
Speaker
But I do, I do agree that it's absolutely about being who you are Well, and I love that you said that because yes, there is always, i think, pain to relationships, even in a positive, like some of the best relationships that you can think of in your life, like we've all had painful moments in them and scary moments where you had to put yourself out there.
Leadership Responsibility and Accountability
00:26:39
Speaker
But you can't get to those like really good, meaningful relationships unless you're willing to endure some of the pain.
00:26:45
Speaker
Yep. Yep. Agreed. And that's where, what's the phrase about the the diamonds? Like the hard seasons make the best. or Diamonds are made under pressure extreme pressure. I love that I could remember that phrase because that's literally a fact. ah So great. Love my brain being on right now.
00:27:03
Speaker
I'm curious, Elizabeth, what's the scariest part of leadership for you? That is a scary question in and in in itself. The scariest part It is probably taking humility and accountability to another level. I think the more, i guess the further along I get in my career, the more that my decisions and my actions impact other people. And having, I've always thought that i was humble and even saying that makes me feel like I'm not humble. But I've always felt that I've had humility and that part of that comes back to my faith.
00:27:35
Speaker
Um, But there's a different level of ownership that you have to take as you continue to grow yourself and grow in your career. And i when I even, you know, I used to freak out over like typos. I used to be such a perfectionist that, I mean, I was, I got feedback from multiple managers of like Elizabeth, 80% is fine. Like done, like good enough is good, you know.
00:28:02
Speaker
And done is good, right? And that was like the biggest thing I left i lost sleep over. And now it's like, oh my gosh, these people, like their livelihoods are impacted by how I decide to show up, like the future of their career. They could say that I am so glad I started my career with Elizabeth as my boss.
00:28:20
Speaker
Or they can be like, wow, I learned a lot about what not to do. Or a mix, right? Probably more realistic to be a mix. But i I think it's really scary because it just comes with a lot of the responsibility in a way that excites me at the same time. But it's scary when I also feel a little bit like the world feels, I mean, regardless of the season of society that we're in, but the world feels out of control in a lot of ways. And as I mentioned earlier, truth changes all the time. And I work for a really large organization. And there are decisions that are made way above me that impact people that I directly support. And it can be really hard when that doesn't feel like it aligns well with them and and try and help them understand the good in it, but also holding space for them and be like, hey, this sucks right now.
00:29:04
Speaker
Let's move through it together. So all of that wrapped intuitive, the accountability and the ownership for that is really important to do in ah in a really intentional way. But sometimes you get those curveballs that you can't you can't even prepare for.
00:29:17
Speaker
So for you, how do you manage through knowing that so much is out of your control? And what what do you focus on that you either feel like you can control or that gives you peace of like, I have chaos all around me and like, I'm still going to go my own way.
00:29:33
Speaker
It probably depends on the day and the challenge. The biggest things that i feel like I can control is my attitude. So if something hard happens, I even did this when I was on staff at AFA.
00:29:46
Speaker
We had to share with the student advisory team that I managed that we were moving to a COVID environment in 2020. Or excuse me, I mean, it was COVID. Everything was a COVID environment. We were moving to an online format for Leaders Conference, which the sole purpose of the student advisors was for them to put on this event, right? And for us to go virtual, was really, really challenging.
00:30:04
Speaker
and remember having that conversation with him and saying, this really stinks right now. And... you're allowed to be sad. We're going to give it a couple weeks. You get all the feelings out. Do all of that.
00:30:16
Speaker
And after this date, like i gave them the date, I was like, we're going move forward and make this the best it can be. Because in reality, your job is really still to impact students. You can still do that because we're still showing up for them at a time that people are not following through on having events. They're just saying, we're not doing virtual. We're not doing in person. We'll see you next year.
00:30:35
Speaker
We're still doing it. And we're creating an opportunity for students. So I would say continuously reminding yourself the why, and that is something that's really important, allowing space for it to be, for you to react to it. And those are really probably important parts.
00:30:51
Speaker
the The start with why concept is huge for me, and I know that that just feels like a personal development. Everybody says it, but it's really important. I mean, the the why is really critical to everything.
00:31:02
Speaker
When other things feel, outside of that example, when things feel out of control, I would say what I try to do is literally just think about the next thing that I can't do. And for me, sometimes that's making a to-do list. Sometimes that is, I just need to call somebody and vent or writing down my questions. I think it's really important in moments where it feels like you don't know what's going on. is to never assume. And so if you start to get down to black and white thinking of like, well, they said that I can't go to this, that means they hate me, or, you know, like whatever it is, like that.
00:31:36
Speaker
If you you, just have to challenge your thinking. And I love Dr. John Deloney, who talks a lot about mindfulness as the space between something happening to you and what you decide
Managing Uncertainty and Attitude Control
00:31:44
Speaker
to do next. And I used to be really bad about creating any space. And so now what I try to do is like, think about the questions I have, or again, i'm like, oh, well, it's with your...
00:31:53
Speaker
You're catastrophizing right now. You're making this the worst case scenario it possibly could be. free take five second like five Take five minutes, mean, could be five seconds in this scenario, but try and take a lap around wherever you are and whatever, and then reset. And I think...
00:32:08
Speaker
writing down questions can be really helpful for me because it's just like, okay, I know that I need to probably not come into an attacking, like what good comes out of a conversation when you're like, this is this is exactly what you did.
00:32:21
Speaker
Okay, cool. Where do I go from there? yeah So if you can, can you help me understand this when you said this, whatever. So questions, the next right step, up again, sometimes it's just a to-do list of other things that I can focus on, but yeah,
00:32:35
Speaker
honestly just remembering to breathe and saying you don't have to have it figured out right now and trying to write remember your bigger picture is huge. i love that reminder even what you said about like I can control my attitude I have had to learn that that space that you're talking about creating between whatever has happened that's out of my control and what happens next is critical because we're emotional beings and sometimes like you got to feel your feels yes and like I need to think about this. I need to take a second. And the most productive thing for me to do right now is going to be to go on a walk and step away from this. And knowing that like, whether that's going on a walk or you writing down the questions or making a to-do list or heck taking some time and resting, like learning that that part is productive yeah and is part of the process. And I think so often we're like, this thing happened. Now I have to figure out what I like. I got to just start doing. yeah, and
00:33:29
Speaker
It's almost like you got to leave this window here, and um then you can do more. what a powerful thing, like, as a leader, too, to say, i don't have all the answers right now. Like, don't say, I am falling apart. That's not helpful to anyone. That creates more chaos. Yeah, yes. And also probably makes you you internally shut down worse, too. But if you could say, i I don't have all the details yet. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
00:33:51
Speaker
i think that also says a lot because I don't think, as a leader, have – Looking up to people around me and other leaders, I don't ever expect them to have all the answers. Certainly I want some clarity from them, but I think it's just a really important thing to admit when you don't know everything, but to to have some sort of, like, I have confidence that we'll get through it. That's really important, like, the the attitude to give, but to say it out loud in ah in a way of, like, okay, I don't actually know, but we'll figure it out is
Empathetic Leadership: Integrity Over Confidence
00:34:20
Speaker
really important.
00:34:20
Speaker
Do you think we're in a leadership culture change right now? And i say that in, i think where, going to speak from my own personal standpoint, but I think even one of the speakers that we listened to earlier this week, Jason, talked about this, of like this perception of what a successful leader looks like, maybe like very charismatic, very powerful, very like decisive and knows what to do and direct it. And what I am hearing a lot of leaders talk about today is a shift from that type of persona and more empathetic and human-oriented and let's ask questions, let's think differently, let's pause.
00:34:59
Speaker
Do you think we're in a leadership culture change of like either what is working or what is going to work? I think we're in a change of by everything right now. i don't i feel I don't feel scared, but I feel i feel like I don't have certainty and in most things right now. And I think ag is part of it. And this could be probably another 13 podcast episodes. But the leadership in ag itself is changing a huge amount. I mean, I think of most highest like leaders that we have leading the biggest companies and organizations that we see the next 10 to 15
00:35:33
Speaker
this is my statistic and no one else's, so this could be absolutely completely wrong, but based on my personal network, I would assume in the next 10 to 15 years, a lot of them are going to retire. I mean, like probably around half, right? Again, Elizabeth's statistic, no one quote me on that. And so I, even within the next five, like it probably is closer than the 10 to 15.
00:35:52
Speaker
So I just say that in a sense of, I've been thinking a lot about the ag industry and leadership overall, but yeah, I think people are more aware than ever that who you are and how you show up is more important than what you do.
00:36:05
Speaker
I think that's really, really hard in the systems that we have created and how things are rewarded or just how things are sought after. But I actually, the conversation with Jason, or the way that he framed it of success, I've been talking a lot about that with people. And I think it's actually important to even give give that to high schoolers because I feel like they just have the model of I should take a job out of high school or college that is what other people think that I should do and I just don't think they have the internal compass and so my something that I've been working on personally is helping younger people do that.
00:36:43
Speaker
But I would agree that ah there is a shift in leadership. And I think things are, i think people are finally, i say this from my perception as well, people are finally understanding that who you are at work is also who you are in life and vice versa. And I think we're finally realizing that.
00:37:04
Speaker
we're not going to put up with a lack of integrity in one of those areas of life and at work and, or excuse me at work and at home. And I love that we're challenging that because the question, I'm a big Simon Sinek fan. He asked the question a lot of, do we reward people with, that we have low trust with, but they're really high performers, or vice versa, like what's more important? and That's a hard question.
00:37:31
Speaker
Like if somebody's a really great performer, we're getting a lot of sales or whatever, but people can't stand being around them, and they, you know, they talk poorly about people behind their backs, or they start drama, know, whatever is.
00:37:43
Speaker
That's not something that you want to perpetuate throughout the rest of your team, but at what point and in an economy like this or whatever, do you need that? so So I would say we're definitely looking at things differently. How it shakes out, I have no idea, but I'm fascinated. I just think from the psychological standpoint of...
00:37:59
Speaker
I'm really excited that really seeing people as people. And I think as someone that put a lot of my identity in my career, I'm really proud of the progress that I've made on my life personally, but it's helping me so much professionally. And I just want that for other people to be like, i I can get better in my life and that can impact every area of my life. It doesn't just have to be I'm focusing on work. I think there's always going to room for both of those segments, but I would say absolutely. And it excites me because I just, something I've noticed a lot in early career professionals, and again, that's where my experience is, but it's probably true of other age groups.
00:38:35
Speaker
This concept I call embracing the gray. This is what I think students need so much work on in college and problem solving. And I think there's, you know, always a syllabus for a student in school. Well, most professors will give a syllabus in school. id Like, here are your your due dates, your project dates, your presentations or whatever. And when you get to the real world, it's pretty fluid.
00:38:58
Speaker
And it's a never-ending, like like, we're not on a semester basis. We're just we're just going. You know, it could be quarterly or whatever, but in reality, it's just perpetual.
Embracing Uncertainty in Leadership
00:39:05
Speaker
And I call it embracing the gray because college feels very black and white to them. and then they get into this world where i think industry is very gray. And so you need to embrace it and not be scared of it. And high achievers like myself and probably you, we wanted to be successful. and We wanted to be high achieving. And we want to know what winning looks like and what do I need to do to win. Correct. Amen. And like right away and we want to do it.
00:39:27
Speaker
But i i mean I started my career in sales and getting into a territory where someone wasn't telling me what to do every day. And, you know, it felt lonely. And i was hitting, I've never been responsible for hitting a budget number before.
00:39:40
Speaker
Like that is hard stuff. And I don't think anybody, even if you're in an office setting, like people don't prepare you for how much your manager is not going to hold your hand. So I say this of the embracing gray is really important. And I feel like people are finally understanding that the world is much more nuanced than we've made it out to be.
00:39:58
Speaker
And that goes along with the humanity in the workplace. And I'm excited about that. And it's going to be really interesting to see how things evolve. But I think those two things kind of go together. we don't really know anything right now. Everything kind just kind of feels new. And that's a really cool opportunity to see how people like embrace being a human.
00:40:15
Speaker
Well, and I love one of the things you said is I don't have certainty in anything right now. And that feels so like I feel like that's so accurate, whether it's like markets or what the weather is going to be like tomorrow or, you know, where What are we doing societally? And I think in the past we've looked to leaders, those people who look and feel certain and confident and I know what's going to happen. And today i almost would maybe be more skeptical of that versus like, you know what? I don't know, but here's who I am as a person. And like here's my integrity and here's my character. And no matter what changes, that's not going to change. And that gives some stability, whether yeah I would say in any leadership environment, instead of like, you know, the way, you know, it's going to happen. i know who you are and who you you're going to be, who you say you are.
00:41:05
Speaker
And I can trust that matter. what what outside things change 100 and this is the purpose that we're headed towards like always i would hope that any leader even when they say that they remind you of like end goal is still the same um because that those two things together still make you feel hopeful and confident that you can move forward but yeah absolutely i am with you if somebody said i know what today looks like do you um i'm not sure i think the the news is always um just feels, it's like, what's going on?
00:41:35
Speaker
And again, even in our own lives too, just things just feel very different all the time. Okay, Elizabeth, this has been a wonderful conversation. We are going to move into rapid fire segment where you're going to try to give short answers and I'm going to try not to ask follow-up questions. Okay.
00:41:53
Speaker
So what is your go-to question when meeting someone new? If there was a movie about your life, who would play you? okay I try not to ask follow questions who would like who would play Elizabeth I would want it to be Tina Fey and I would want Amy Poehler to be in it as well oh love that love that uh who is someone in agriculture that inspires your approach to connection I'm trying not to be cheesy with an answer so let me think of feel like this needs to be like half a face of a lot of different people um man you stumped me on this one
00:42:30
Speaker
We'll go with Russ Weathers, and part of what I love about Russ is that he he doesn't always ask you a question. He just kind of holds space for things, and he does ask pretty targeted follow-up questions, which is great, but I'm trying to get better about individually connecting with people being present in the moment and not just forcing a conversation i'm really good about asking questions but sometimes it's fun just to see what people ask when you're um you hold space for them that's not a short answer but hopefully that um i just i think that that is an important thing what is one relationship building green flag and what's a red flag
00:43:12
Speaker
As a recruiter, I'll take ah maybe that lens on this, a relationship building red flag is when someone makes it very much about what you can give them and not about it being like an organic conversation or connection.
00:43:29
Speaker
So they'll just say, ah Tell me about your company. What jobs do you have? And that's it. a green flag is when someone talks a little bit more about you and asks questions. So it could be the movie question. It could be, how did you get here? Like, this is this your first AFA Leaders Conference or whatever? But questions for sure.
00:43:46
Speaker
would be green flag and then um and then what can I do for you is red flag and only following up for sure when it's like I there are some people I only hear from when they need something when it's a resume or a recommendation or a connection and that just doesn't feel very good uh what is a leadership book or podcast or tool that you uh that's like your go-to recommendation for people The most recent one that has really helped me, Soundtracks by John Acuff, is one that I really like. And it's about the stories that we tell ourselves and how that manifests into reality.
00:44:29
Speaker
I love that because mindset is everything. Okay. And now we are going to switch into hot takes. At AFA, we love hot takes. So unconventional, bold opinions. So Elizabeth, what is a hot take you have about leadership or the future of agriculture?
Adapting Agriculture Beyond Tradition
00:44:43
Speaker
I don't know if this would be considered a hot take, but it feels like a hot take. I grew up in a time where the industry felt very, it's how we've always done it.
00:44:54
Speaker
And that's not acceptable anymore. And I'm seeing that come out in how people are making decisions of really proving that they need ah ROI to back up every financial decision, whether that's on the farm or an organization giving to someone like AFA, that's really crucial.
00:45:11
Speaker
And it's also what we talked about earlier, of people having integrity as a leader. And I just feel like agriculture absolutely needs to stay celebrating our heritage and our tradition.
00:45:24
Speaker
But that's going to look different in the future. I don't know what that's going to look like. But I'm excited about it. As someone that grew up on a farm, I want to preserve like the life that I always grew up with because that was so special. And I'm so grateful for how I grew up.
00:45:39
Speaker
However, it's just not it's not reality. And I could speak to the dairy industry. Dairy is way different now than when my family sold our cows in the And and If that's just one small example of how this industry is evolving and continues to evolve, it's definitely intimidating because I just feel like we've always cherished how things have been, but it's going to be different. And I don't know what that looks like, but buckle up, folks. We're in for we're in for a ride. It's going to be fun. It's going to really interesting, but i i just we can't settle for
00:46:11
Speaker
That's always how we've always done it. Love that take, Elizabeth. At AFA, we're all about building bridges. Where can people connect more with you? So i I'm really active on LinkedIn, ah and Elizabeth Galbraith is my name, so if find me on LinkedIn. And I would say i have a website, elizabethgalbraith.com, so G-A-L-B-R-E-A-T-H is how you spell my last name. So find me there. I have a blog, and yeah, love to connect with people there and help them with whatever they're they're thinking about. I try to be really transparent about
00:46:43
Speaker
the experience as a recruiter or leadership and stuff that we're talking about. So connect with me on there. Awesome. Well, go connect with Elizabeth. Any final thoughts that you want to leave our listeners with? I think I would just say I want to recognize that.
00:46:58
Speaker
At any stage in your career, this is, because I work with early career professionals, I feel like it's really normal for people to think everyone has it figured out. And the more that I've spent with people who are further into their career, so no matter how old someone is or experienced, they are listening to this, it's okay to not have it figured out. And I think this is more of a...
00:47:19
Speaker
And also an homage to the the time period that we're in. a I just felt like every time that I talked to somebody that if they were good at their job or they had more knowledge than me, that they knew what they were doing. They had a five-year plan. They had it mapped out.
00:47:33
Speaker
And i am i'm in the process right now of relocating in the next week across country. And I have no plans once I get there. And that is so different for me. But I'm so excited about that. And I share that just because we don't always have to have it mapped out.
00:47:51
Speaker
And having it, quote unquote, figured out is not the goal. But... behaving and a way that we're proud of as we're pursuing impacting others and and what we really care about is what's most important. And i I just want to say to everybody, don't worry about how it appears on the outside if you're pursuing what you really care about.
00:48:08
Speaker
That's what matters. You're going have some imposter syndrome. You're definitely not going to feel like you have it all together, but that's part of the process. And I just want people to lean into that rather than be ashamed of it because it's very normal. And the more that we let it fester inside,
00:48:23
Speaker
It's just going to eat us up. So embrace it and just run with it. Love that. Thank you, Elizabeth. This has been so fun. i have loved learning and getting to chat with you. and I know our listeners, ah obviously, there's there's so many great takeaways and nuggets from this podcast as well. So i want to say thank you for being on the Cultivating Leaders podcast and also congratulations on being recognized as the AFA Bridge Builder.
00:48:45
Speaker
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