Transcript
Speaker: You know, when I entered the workforce, I think I probably thought that the best leaders were the ones who always had the right answers.
Speaker: If a team is all the same, we're going to be less productive than if we have differences. Well, I love asking questions. I love learning about people. And that also means their perspectives.
Speaker: I think what's so important is that every one of us was designed with a purpose and that we have the opportunity to provide value to someone every day.
Speaker: Welcome to the Cultivating Leaders podcast. I'm your host and curiosity captain, Nicole Urcig. If you are ready to lead better, think bigger, and grow faster, you're in the right place. We bring you real conversations with top leaders across food and agriculture, focused on the practical skills and mindsets you need to lead in today's environment.
Speaker: Leadership is often associated with personal performance, advancement, and the ability to produce results. But the strongest leaders understand that their success is not measured only by what they accomplish. It is also measured by how well the people around them are able to contribute, grow, and succeed.
Speaker: Joining us today is Emily Peters, Director of Marketing and Sales at Union Pacific Railroad. Throughout her career, Emily has worked across several parts of the organization and now leads within a complex business environment where meaningful results depend on collaboration between employees, departments, customers, and industry partners.
Speaker: If you are leading a team, preparing to manage others, or simply want to become a stronger teammate, this episode is for you. Emily, welcome to the pod. Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker: So glad you are here today. Okay, so I think let's start off with Union Pacific Railroad. i don't think that everyone initially relates that to agriculture. So can you walk us through um first, like, okay, how does how does Union Pacific and the work that you do there fit into the agriculture industry? Sure, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, maybe I can start with by saying I can relate to you and that sentiment that you just said. i grew up in Ohio and when I had actually never even heard of Union Pacific until AFA.
Speaker: and at AFA, I met someone in an elevator who said, oh, you should come down and check out our booth. And i went down, talked with them, and i decided to pursue an interview. Some of the things that they had told me were interesting. And as I was doing more research, I learned just how integral they are in the US economy and agriculture specifically.
Speaker: And they have so much history in our nation. And so when you think about agriculture products, from your grains to your byproducts to your finished products, those all move via rail, and we can't get those products to the consumer without rail.
Speaker: Absolutely. i think a lot of us don't think about the dependencies that agriculture has on other industries or other things that, again, like if you can't, if you can't move the grain, then it's not getting to where it needs to go, whether that be exports or, you know, livestock that are going to consume it, all of that.
Speaker: Yes, absolutely. Awesome. So I have to ask, because I live in Ohio, where did you grow up in Ohio? So I grew up about 40 minutes north of Dayton, Castown,
Speaker: And I went to Ohio State, so i lived in Columbus for a little bit, and i am a proud Buckeye. That is great. I did not grow up in Ohio, but have called it home now for eight years, and we live in Worcester, Ohio. yeah Oh, yes. Okay. Yeah. Ohio State has campus there. We do. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: So are you Buckeye fan? I am not. I am a K-Stater, so I cheer for the Wildcats. um But we have an affinity, I would say, or an appreciation after you live in Ohio this long for the Buccos.
Speaker: Yes. When I was in college, I did an internship with Cargill in Salina, Kansas. And so I got to go to some K-State games and the people are just so great. so Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Both Savannah and I are K-Staters. Oh, yes. Okay. yeah Yes. Yes. As long as you're not Michigan Wolverines, I... And we're good, right? We can be friends. We're good, yeah. We can be great friends.
Speaker: Awesome. Okay, so ah you learned about Union Pacific as a college student. Walk me through what has your career looked like since joining Union Pacific and the trajectory of growth that you've had?
Speaker: Sure. So when I started at Union Pacific, ah I started in our entry level. It was called the Marketing and Sales... MDSC, Marketing and Sales Development develop meant Center. So it's kind of the entry level position. And I've been in marketing and sales my entire career, but I've had the opportunity to work in a lot of different industries, which has been so great. So I've spent some time calling on scrap, steel customers, intermodal customers. I had my first
Speaker: Big sales job, I would say, in our food and beverage business. So I used to call on our some of our beer customers and onion and potato customers.
Speaker: And then I moved over to our LPG crude oil and petroleum business. Never thought that I would be in that kind of industry, but I learned so much. I've spent some time pricing our grain business, particularly our export grain business. And then the last several years, I've been focused on grain and grain products and serving those customers.
Speaker: That is an incredible amount of things that one, I didn't even know Union Pacific was in those business areas. Yeah. But a lot of ah different pieces, I would say, across the business and across what UP does. So tell me, what what was it about, like, why make so many changes or work in so many different parts of the business as you thought about your own career and and what you wanted to learn and how you wanted to grow?
Speaker: Sure. I've always been a really curious person and you know, there's lots of opportunities at the railroad. And so I just tried to be open and um I knew that anywhere I would go, I could learn something.
Speaker: And so I remember actually early in my career when I thought, oh, I would never want to go over to the chemical side of the business. And then after spending some time there, I learned so much. And i I saw how it also tied to agriculture, which has always been a huge interest of mine. So I think just being open and not necessarily designing my own career path, but just viewing the opportunities that were around me and knowing that I would learn wherever I would go. Yeah. So tell me, how is your leadership perspective um in what you think good leadership looked like changed since you entered the workforce to where you are today?
Speaker: You know, when I entered the workforce, I think I probably thought that the best leaders were the ones who always had the right answers.
Speaker: And I've done strength finders. My number one strength is input. So when I'm involved in something like I'm involved, i like to be engaged.
Speaker: And um sometimes your strengths can also be a fault, right? And I've had to learn over time and something that I think I've learned from other leaders and in viewing them is that the best leadership includes a lot of listening. And so taking the time to listen to key stakeholders, understanding the situations.
Speaker: So that's how I feel like I've kind of grown, I guess, over the last 15 years and how I view leadership. Also just being intentional and caring about what you do and the people that you get to work with.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. You and I both share our top strength. I also am a number one input. oh that's only one Yeah, it's the only one that hasn't changed. I've taken it many years and like input always comes back number one. So I cannot i think it's a good strength.
Speaker: It is. Yes. But just like you said, ah some strengths taken to extremes can often appear as weaknesses. So yeah, learning when to flex that muscle at the appropriate time. Yes, absolutely.
Speaker: So I imagine you've gotten to work with all kinds of different people as well as you've worked across different business units. um As you think about those different types of folks that you've gotten to engage, is there any particular moment or experience that has helped you shape or think differently about how you approach leadership?
Speaker: Yeah. so about years ago, I was in a really bad car accident and my husband at the time and two of our best friends, they all graduated to heaven that day.
Speaker: And I had a lot of injuries. And after the fact, my life looked very different. And, um, I was so thankful for my coworkers and customers and how they really cared about who I was as a person.
Speaker: And I think that really changed my perspective when I work with people and this awareness that oftentimes people are fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
Speaker: And so I try to be cognizant of that when I'm interacting with people and um just recognizing that They are a person. And so clear communication is important.
Speaker: Helping them to understand how what they're doing is valuable is important. And that we never know what's going on behind the scenes and in someone's life. Oh, that is such a powerful reminder, Emily. I think oftentimes, especially...
Speaker: really driven people, right? Like in the workplace, you can get so focused on getting the work done that it can sometimes strip away the humanity and being able to understand that, hey, like, you know you don't know what's going on behind.
Speaker: We're all dealing with with different things. I love that reminder. Yeah. And I will tell you before the accident, when I saw people go through really hard things and maybe – destroy their life, I was more judgmental of how could you let something impact you? And then when you walk through your own trials, you have more empathy and a better understanding of how things aren't always easy behind the scenes. And it's important to care about the person. Oh, yeah, absolutely. A hundred percent. How have, um do you have any examples of like
Speaker: as you think about working with people, how how do you try to embrace that humanity, show up show them they're valued, that you care about them, while also balancing sometimes there's a piece of accountability there too?
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I love getting to work with different people. And I know that we all have different strengths. And that can really help a team move forward. if If a team is all the same, we're going to be less productive than if we have differences. And so I really try to find what certain people are good at and helping them connect with the bigger picture and the um impact that their work does.
Speaker: account Accountability is so important and being people focused doesn't mean that there's lack of accountability. And so I think clearly communicating what the main objectives are as a team is very important. And if someone or is maybe not being held accountable or not meeting their potential, just taking the time to have that conversation.
Speaker: And I have had conversations before that were tough conversations, but good and out of care for people. And I usually just approach it as I know you're capable And can we talk through this challenge that's going on? And are there ways that I can help or we should um maybe change the way the work is being done that works better for you and the team?
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. How do you, as a leader, really truly determine what is best for the team when individuals may have different needs, opinions, definitions of success, and maybe even, as you talked about, different things going on behind the scenes that may influence how they're able to show up or carry the work?
Speaker: I think being clear about what the objectives are and what success looks like Sometimes I think people can get confused that success means that everyone is happy about the situation and sometimes that's impossible. And part of being a leader is looking collectively at the group and the stakeholders and identifying what's best for the collective group and the main objective. Absolutely.
Speaker: Absolutely. ah Tell me how in your own personal leadership style, you gather input from the team and determine when, like, when do you as a leader need to or get to make the decision versus when is it like, hey, we should make a decision by consensus?
Speaker: I ask a lot of questions. I'm a curious person. And I think asking questions is, well, I love asking questions. I love learning about people. And that also means their perspectives and I know that other people's perspectives are very valuable and they have reasons for why they think certain ways. So I try to model that of asking about people's perspectives. Why do you think that way? and I love it when people also challenge me and it makes me think differently. It makes me think smarter. And so i think being open and not being offended and welcoming challenges is really good.
Speaker: and um communicating if maybe you know that someone isn't going to like the outcome, especially if it affects a certain stakeholder, addressing it with them and helping them understand the why.
Speaker: And that's something I've heard throughout my career, whether it's at Uni Pacific or in community groups or boards that I'm a part of, I've heard the phrase,
Speaker: I don't always like the decision or what you've said, but I respect where you're coming from. And to me, i i think that's a success that people can understand the thought process and to be very open and transparent with it Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Have you ever come across um either an individual or a type of person in your career that you're like, man, I just really struggle to work with this type of person or an experience like that and how you have managed through it? um Because like it's one thing of like sometimes it's just powering through and sometimes like, man, it's it can feel like putting a square peg in a round hole and working with some some folks.
Speaker: Generally, I like most people, even if they're different. I think what probably is the hardest for me is when someone is disrespectful.
Speaker: And i often think the best approach is, you probably heard this throughout your childhood, I know I did, is kill them with kindness, right? and And even if someone isn't giving you the respect or someone else the respect that they deserve, to maintain giving respect to other people.
Speaker: and trying to build a bridge and build a relationship with someone. And I've definitely had that before my career where maybe the relationship, you could feel hardness at the start, but taking the time to get to know them and what their personal goals and objectives are has been really helpful.
Speaker: And I would also say something that I've learned is that most people are really good people. And even if they have tendencies that I don't love or um aren't always the easiest to work with, they genuinely want to do a good job in whatever their role is. And so understanding that about them and being appreciative of the value that they are adding helps motivate people to do their best.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. What would you say to someone who is like, I hear you on the relational piece of it, but I need to move fast and i have work to get done and everything you're saying requires time. Like building relationships don't happen overnight and it can take like stepping away from the work to actually get to know the person. So what would you say to someone who is either dealing with that challenge or would challenge you with like, okay, yes, I hear you, Emily. I need to build relationships, but like it's time consuming and I've got work to do.
Speaker: Yeah, that's very real. And I think in today's day and age with such high expectations of people, you have to be able to move fast. And, you know, you can have analysis paralysis by taking too much time to make decisions. And so I think just being self-reflective and trying to make the best right decision at the moment is important.
Speaker: If you know something is going to significantly impact someone, doing your best to get their perspective is important. But there there are things where you just have to know your team, you have to know your business, and sometimes you don't always have time. And so you have to make a judgment call and make the best decision that you can.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes too, I think taking the time to build those relationships can help you move fast in the long run, right? Yeah. like Yeah. Absolutely. ah Kind of greases the skids for the future.
Speaker: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Um, for you, when did you have the realization or the understanding of leading as an individual versus leading through other people was, was going to change the way that the type of impact you could have, right? I think ah especially for young people, you see yourself as an individual contributor and Hey, it's about my work output and that kind of thing versus developing and creating relationships with others. When did that, um, light bulb go on for you in your career?
Speaker: I think maybe when I was in college, um I loved to read and Zig Ziglar was ah is an author speaker that I really like. And he said, study people that you want to be like and um you know read biographies about people. And so one thing that I did when I was in college is all the people that I knew that I could find in Columbus, Ohio, that I thought were successful, I asked if I could interview them.
Speaker: And I had a list list of questions that I would ask them. and something that what became clear to me is that all these people that I had deemed successful were not successful on their own.
Speaker: And, um, Now, as I work with people, the best leaders that I know, they they work with people well. They know that people matter.
Speaker: And so um I think, I don't know that there was like a ah specific moment, but I can't really think of someone who was super successful on their own. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: For you, Emily, what um what advice would you go back and give younger Emily for the early parts of your career or lessons that you're like, man, I really wish I would have learned this sooner? If i were to go back, I would say embrace every opportunity that you can. And no matter what job you have, I really believe that all the work that we get to do work.
Speaker: good work And whether you have the CEO title or the most elementary title, you can still be a leader. You can still learn and you can still be a contributor.
Speaker: So I wouldn't get caught up in specific titles or um specific experiences, but just knowing that every interaction, every job that you have is an opportunity to learn and develop your skill sets, and to do meaningful work.
Speaker: Have you ever said yes to an opportunity and then regretted it or questioned it? Sure. Yes, I have. i I think that's something I've learned over time is that learning when to say no. And You know, it goes back to that input strength. When people have asked me to participate or take advantage of certain opportunities, I would always say yes. And then there's been seasons in my life where I felt very maxed out or I've committed to so many things that it's hard to give a good quality product when you're spread so thin.
Speaker: So taking the time to step back and think about what my values are as a person and interest and does this opportunity align with that has been valuable.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. What do you feel like you are learning right now on your leadership journey, Emily? That's a good question. I think I'm learning more about how best to allocate time and um making with with so much going on really it's decision-making. I maybe shouldn't say how best to allocate time because no matter what I do in a day, there's only 24 hours in a day. I can't create more, right? So being wise about decisions that I make
Speaker: and prioritizing the decisions to be the most effective possible and and how i how I spend my time. Yeah, that's what of makes sense.
Speaker: I'm curious, Emily, for someone who is so like people centered, what do you want as you think about Emily's like leadership legacy to be as you think about your career? What do you hope ah that is?
Speaker: Now, knowing you're only like part of the way through, you still plenty more career left ahead of you. Yeah, yeah. i I want to be respected and for people to know that I'm authentic and that I care about the decisions and the outcomes that are being made. and I really genuinely want to make the right decisions.
Speaker: um So I guess I think about that as I'm communicating with people. And yeah, i I want them to know that I care and
Speaker: that they can understand why I make decisions I make. Yeah, absolutely. Sounds like you are someone who is highly, highly intentional and that comes across in the ways of working for you.
Speaker: i Yeah, and maybe. I mean, there's always room to grow, right? yes but Absolutely. But that's what this is all about, right? Like when we, ah none of us are perfect leaders. If there was, there wouldn't be a need for a podcast like this, or um i think we'd have far less interesting, interesting stories out of the workplace if that were true.
Speaker: Yes. Yes, absolutely. Well, Emily, I know this wasn't quite on the list, but I am curious, i as someone who, it's the 30th anniversary of AFA, and you got to attend AFA as a college student. And so I'm curious as you look back, especially as someone who it seems like found your career through AFA, I'm curious what AFA has meant to you and um what you think your career, like, how does how has it helped you and in your career doing that experience from college student to where you are today?
Speaker: Well, it's impacted my career so much in my leadership styles. AFA was where I was exposed to a lot of leaders that carried that servant leadership mentality.
Speaker: And that's something that I resonate with and I really appreciate. And I think seeing so many leaders before me that were unashamed and kind of set a different pathway forward about how important servant leadership is, gave me confidence as I was entering in the workforce.
Speaker: And also, i think it inspired me to invest in others at a young age. um When I first entered into the workforce, a guy named Joel, who is ah a AFA alumni, he really inspired myself and at the time, my husband to get Franklin Covey certified and to start investing in other leaders. And so because of his encouragement and his investment in us we we took those classes, we got certified and we had the opportunity to help others who were not really that far behind where we were from an age perspective. And I just found so much value in that and wanted to be a person
Speaker: that not only is developing myself, but developing others around me. That is so great. I think it's such a good reminder of like, no matter where you are in the, in your age or stage of your career, you can lead. yeah So I really enjoy that. Yes. Yeah. Thank you for continuing to, to be a part of AFA. And it's so cool to see where alumni like you end up in your careers.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. And I'm very thankful for AFA. OK, Emily, I want to do a little bit of rapid fire question with you. And I always joke that this is you try to answer in one sentence or less, and I try not to ask follow up questions. OK, yes.
Speaker: OK. What is one question you think every manager should ask more often? How can I serve you better? That one's good. um What is a quality that you value most in a teammate?
Speaker: Humility. What is a leadership book or resource that you think everyone should check out? The Bible. um What feedback do you actively try and seek about your own leadership?
Speaker: How can i serve you better? um What is one word that you hope others would use to describe your leadership?
Speaker: Authentic. What is one thing you think we need more, one leadership quality we need more of ah for leaders in agriculture?
Speaker: What is one leadership quality we need more of? ah Humility. Probably a good one. um Okay, Emily, thank you. At AFA, we love hot takes, so unconventional or bold opinions. um So I would be curious, Emily, what is a hot take that you have either about leadership or the agriculture industry?
Speaker: um I would say... Just because we've done something the way we've done it for 50 or 100 years doesn't mean that it's right or that it can't be done differently. And so um looking at things and trying to figure out how we can do things better as we get more feedback and information and we hear different perspectives, it's always valuable to look at things
Speaker: And just keep a pulse to make sure we're we're doing the right thing, we're making the right decisions. I think that's a great one. We're an industry that's steeped in so much tradition and there's value in that. And then also value in new ways of doing things.
Speaker: Yes, yes, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Emily, is there anything that we didn't talk about yet today that you're like, hey, I really ah want to share about this or think people need to know either about leadership, yourself or Union Pacific?
Speaker: I think what's so important is that every one of us was designed with a purpose and that we have the opportunity to provide value to someone every day.
Speaker: i think our mindset really determines a lot and if we have a negative mindset, you know, there's, there's power in the tongue, there's power in our words. And so as we wake up in a day, if our mindset is that, oh, I have to go to work, or I've got this meeting with these people, you're gonna have a bad day.
Speaker: But if you wake up and you see that I have the opportunity to do something good today, i have the opportunity to serve someone else today, it just changes life in general. And I think makes it a lot more fun and exciting and valuable.
Speaker: Oh, that is such incredible advice, Emily. I feel like it's so true and so many people need to hear it. I'll be, I'll share with you. So I, um, am expecting. And so pregnancy has been really tough on my body. yeah it has changed my capacity and exactly what you're talking about of like, I've been getting it up in the morning and being like,
Speaker: I'm going to have a good day today, even if I don't feel good, i think can absolutely change how you show up. and And as we talked about earlier in this conversation too, like everyone's dealing with something that you may not know or see. um And also you may be the one that's dealing with the things that people may not know or see. And if you come with the best mindset that you can bring on the day, it can really impact how your day goes and how your work ah looks and impacts other people.
Speaker: Absolutely. Absolutely. And you are growing a human inside of you, which is amazing hard work. cause So congratulations. That's so exciting. Yes. But I really resonated when you were talking about like, hey, you don't know what someone's dealing with. Because yes, it is. ah I'll be honest. It's been humbling.
Speaker: um but yeah But good to learn and good good reminder. Like you just never know what someone's dealing with behind a screen or, you know, behind the closed doors at home. Yes. And that will change your capacity and what you can do. And so what we were talking about earlier, i have um a four-year-old girl and two twin boys who are one right now. And so, you know, I can't do all the same things that I did before and that's okay. And embracing the season that you're in and prioritizing your time is so important.
Speaker: And um you're, you're doing the most important work right now growing female. So. Well, thanks. Oh my gosh. I cannot imagine two twin little boys. That is an incredible workload. Oh, they're so fun. They're so fun. It's great. But I think what you're saying is such a good reminder. I often um used to share with my team of like, we all show up with different, we talk about like all the things you have on your plate, right? We hear that a lot in the workplace. It's like, oh, I've got so much on my plate or that person has so much on on their plate. And depending on the season of life you're in, Or even the season of career. i think we all show up with different sized plates and it's okay that, you know, um some days I'm going to show up when try to put, you know, like i'm going to show up with a platter and other days some folks may have a cocktail napkin, but yeah being yeah being understanding of that and and what people's, we all have different capacities depending on where we're at.
Speaker: Yes. Yeah. and and that's okay. Right. And that's yeah so valuable and important to understand that. Absolutely. Well, Emily, ah you know, at AFA, we are all about building bridges. So tell folks where they can connect more and get to know you or, and, or the work that you are doing at Union Pacific.
Speaker: Yeah. I think the best way is probably LinkedIn. um for For myself, I have my own personal profile and then Union Pacific has their own as well. And is always posting and and sharing good information. Awesome. Well, Emily, thank you so much for joining us on the Cultivating Leaders podcast. I think this has been such a heartfelt episode and with some really good nuggets of wisdom for people no matter where they are in their careers.
Speaker: Well, thank you. Thank you for having me and thank you for taking the time to share this type of information with all of us. Want to hear more from Emily? Join us on September 23rd at noon central for our next Cultivating Leaders webinar.
Speaker: We're sitting down with Emily and many other upcoming guests to dive into their career journeys, all of which began with a connection they made during their AFA experiences as a college student. So visit the episode to register and join us for more great nuggets and leadership advice from these AFA alumni.
Speaker: Thanks for listening to the Cultivating Leaders podcast, where leaders grow. If this episode challenged your thinking, be sure to share it with someone else who is on a similar leadership journey. You can stay connected with the Cultivating Leaders podcast by following AgFutureAmerica on social media or drop a comment in the episode description. We'll see you again on the next episode.
