What does it mean to struggle well? In 2006, then Major Mark Gasparotto, now retired as a Colonel, led the combat engineers during Operation Medusa in Afghanistan, Canada’s largest combat mission since the Korean War. As a keynote speaker, Gasparotto now shares how the lessons learned on that mission, of leadership following friendly fire, of… Read More

Farm Management Canada (FMC-GAC) has announced that applications are open for the 2025 National Farm Leadership Program. “Canada already has some of the best farm managers and increasing their leadership effectiveness is the next step. Few of us consider our own leadership as a competitive advantage, however research shows that leader effectiveness can account for… Read More

The Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) is for executive leaders in agriculture, but you don’t need to be an executive to join the program, says program administrator Gabrielle Ferguson. Established in 1984, AALP has been helping to develop leaders in agriculture for 40 years. At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture annual general meeting last month,… Read More

Becoming an effective leader of any team begins with first taking charge of yourself. Leadership of self, says Mark Gasparotto, is a necessary step before being truly ready and able to lead others, whether on the farm or elsewhere in life. Gasparotto, founder of The Gasparotto Group and former Canadian military commander, says potential leaders… Read More

Many of you run family farm businesses filled with the opportunities, challenges and satisfaction that comes with it. As businesses transition from one generation to the next, the incoming generation is faced with many internal and external expectations to be like or even better than the last generation. This is true on the farm and… Read More

“If I’d give any advice, I’d say don’t be afraid to ask questions…don’t ask a question because you know the answer. Ask a question because you genuinely want to know, and get their opinion and get their advice. And when you ask that question, when you explore that curiosity, you’re wiser, and the folks who… Read More