The self-employed are working for themselves. Some of them don’t have a very good boss. Some of them aren’t very good employees.

Most self-employed people are owner-operators. Even if you are a crew of one, you still have others to please—family members, bankers, government agencies, etc.

If you are the manager of a larger operation, it’s very possible that you once were an entry level employee. Don’t get the idea that you are a finished product. Even though you are the boss at one level, you may have a boss at a higher level. And, even if you are the top dog, you still have others to please.

Life-long learning and continuous improvement are mandatory for all of us if we want to be competitive and successful. While not every farmer and rancher is trying to improve and get better, many of our neighbors are trying their best to make continuous improvement. So, let’s all work at becoming better employees. 

Do you really want to farm or ranch? 

Do you have the aptitude, work ethic, passion and integrity to be successful at it? They are all necessary. 

Are you teachable? This implies two things—an attitude and an aptitude. If you can cultivate the attitude to be teachable, to be a learner, the aptitude will probably follow. A former colleague and great manager, Paul Genho, once told me that when he discovered that if something could be learned, he could learn it; and that made a great difference for him. He wasn’t just applying that to himself. If something can be learned, most people can learn it with appropriate application of time, energy and thought. Most of the things we need to learn to be successful in our business aren’t that difficult to learn.

Can you follow? And, can you lead when that is needed? I often designated employees—even entry level—to lead some projects or activities. 

Do you know the level of management to which you aspire? Do you really want the higher level job or just the title and pay without the managerial activities, duties and responsibilities? You can’t get the new title and accept the pay without performing the functions. It’s not the same old job even though some of the activities are and you are working with the same cattle and land.

With frank and honest answers to the foregoing questions, you can make a good choice of the type of position you should direct your life-long learning toward. One of my foremen once told me that he didn’t want to advance any further in position because he would have to burn his saddle; and he didn’t want to do that. He did, however, want to be always improving as a foreman; and that he did.

Become a life-long learner. Be a sponge for new ideas, information, techniques and advances in the science.

If you are still in high school or university, don’t avoid the tough classes—biology, chemistry, soils, accounting, economics, finance, etc. These are foundational for understanding an agricultural business. They are also a lot easier to learn with an instructor to help you understand the hard parts.

Become a better communicator—read, write, speak and listen. These skills will help you at all levels; and, if you move to a managerial position, they will help you with all your relationships—co-workers, vendors, customers, bankers, agencies, regulators, etc.

Don’t be a jerk. No one wants to work for or with a jerk at any level or in any relationship. Try to become the kind of person that others will respect, seek out and want to work with.

Learn all you can about soils, good grazing and low stress animal handling. Don’t assume you know unless or until you have studied extensively, visited others who have had great success and are known to do it well. If your current employer won’t let you use the knowledge and skills, be patient, someone will.