Ideal leadership means being ‘one’ with your produce team

I was catching up on emails with the TV on in my hotel room when Russ T. Blade poked his head out from behind my lamp. “Rusty,” as regular readers know, is the miniature, imaginary produce manager who occasionally appears to talk shop.

Rusty: How can you concentrate on your work with that thing on?

Me: Oh, that’s a YouTube of a popular speaker I’ve discovered of late, Victor Davis Hanson. He’s a professor, historian, author and more. A farmer himself, Dr. Hanson grew up on his grandfather’s farm in Selma, Calif., in the San Joaquin Valley. An incredibly intelligent man with a an especially keen perspective, often invoking and comparing ancient history to modern day events. An inspiration, not a distraction.

Rusty: Did he mention something that relates to a retail produce operation by chance?

Me: Perhaps. He talks in depth about leadership: what works and what doesn’t. 

Rusty: I’m no historian, but the best business leaders I’ve found over time are those who resonate best with those supervised. Most employees have a very loyal core. Most want to do, not just the minimum, but exceed expectations — if treated with respect and a little gratitude. 

Me: One point of his lectures caught my attention. Hanson talked about exceptionally successful generals throughout history: Belisarius, Grant, Sherman, MacArthur, Ridgway, Lemay, Petraeus. He said one commonality they all shared was, “Being one with their men.” You know, demonstrating a commitment to succeed and positioning themselves alongside their troops, not behind.

Rusty: Leadership starts at the top all right. A good leader makes sure their charges — like um, me — have every resource needed to succeed. The best store manager I ever had started off by saying, “Tell me what you need. More labor hours? Better fixtures or equipment? Increased floor space or time to train?” A real “open door” type of manager. The kind of approach having the balance of being “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

Related: Read more insight from Armand Lobato

Me: I’ve had a few in my produce career like this. Business author Daniel Goleman popularized the trait as having “emotional intelligence.” One especially trusted mentor and great communicator comes to mind. Don’t get me wrong; we were still held accountable for maintaining our goals — sales, gross profit, keeping shrink in check — but all the department managers knew our boss had our back. Quite supportive.

Rusty: That leadership philosophy is so much more productive than an iron-fist “my way or the highway” approach. A true team mentality lends itself to the highest crew morale. When a leader makes sure their people are covered, their needs met — be it with any possible tools, time off or available benefit — the effort is much more likely to be reciprocated with dedication, seeing a job through and doing all the extras without being told, with minimal supervision.

Me: It’s a two-way street. If any leader conveys an honest level of trust and devotion to their team, it’s amazing how positive everyone responds in kind. Leaders like Andrew Carnegie, Lee Iacocca and a few close mentors come to mind.

Rusty: It’s one reason why produce operations generally have the least number of issues, compared with the rest of the industry: the best attendance, the fewest on-the-job injuries or sick calls, and the best productivity. I work alongside everyone, make it a point to thank them for coming in on short notice, compliment and recognize them when the job is done well. I try to reason instead of reprimand, encourage instead of criticize, demonstrate instead of demand, consult instead of berating. I give them everything I’m capable of, such as with pay raises or preferred days off or shifts, and in return only ask for an honest day’s work. Most days I get this and much more, such as optimal sales and solid gross profits. Good morale is key.

Me: I’ve found that people work hardest and most efficiently in a clean, organized, positive and well-supported operation. I also once read, “The greater the man, the greater the courtesy.”

Rusty: I try to live it every day. A framed sign in my manager’s office had this unattributed leadership quote: “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” So, get back to work, bub.

Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.