Intentionally Building on Strength & Complementing Weakness with Ryan Hassebrook

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Ryan Hassebrook is the president and CEO of ServiTech, Inc., the nation's largest crop consulting and agricultural laboratory. Ryan works daily with ServiTech's team of industry leading agronomists and foremost laboratory experts to accomplish the company's vision of "sustainably creating a more productive world." He and his wife, Kristen, along with their two daughters, Hannah and Amelia, reside just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska.

In this insightful episode of the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader," host Mark warmly welcomes Ryan Hassebrook, President of Servitech, to shed light on intentional leadership within the agribusiness sector. The discussion offers a deep dive into Ryan’s professional growth, his insights on strategic planning, and the commendable transformation he has overseen at Servitech.

Beginning with a flashback to their first meeting, the narrative soon unfolds to highlight the critical aspects of setting and achieving professional milestones. The conversation pivots towards the significance of intentionality in the agribusiness realm, encapsulating Ryan's journey from his early days as a territory manager to his current leadership role. Both guest and host discuss the delicate balance between strategic foresight and ground-level operations, demonstrating the complexities and rewards of guiding a data-focused agricultural services provider.

Key Takeaways:

• To be intentional is to measure and manage effectively, implementing a strategy that aligns with company growth and day-to-day operations.
• Leaders should focus on building on their strengths and complementing their weaknesses with a strong team, employing tools like Gallup Strengths Finder and the Culture Index.
• Listening to employees and adapting to feedback is essential for a CEO, emphasizing the importance of a culture that fosters open communication and readiness to pivot based on staff input.
• Personal support systems and recognizing a higher power can help CEOs manage the immense responsibility that comes with their roles.
• A winning culture in an organization is about setting goals, celebrating successes no matter how small, and creating a framework where continuous improvement is valued.

Notable Quotes:

• "We at Servitech, we talk a lot about not being able to manage what you don't measure."
• "I recognize where some of my weaknesses are, and I'm not going to spend a ton of time trying to improve upon those because I know I can accomplish more focusing on those things that I do better."
• "We follow the balance scorecard framework for strategic planning... we meet once a year to review and talk about it, but we got to live it every day for it to be meaningful."
• "Even in those spots where we fall short, those are the opportunities for us to grow and to improve."
• "We're all going to struggle as God intends for us, and so I guess just recognizing that there's value in that [and] you don't have to shoulder it all."

Resources:

• Culture Index: A tool used within Servitech for enhancing leadership-staff dynamics and optimizing hiring processes.
• Blinkist App: Recommended by Ryan for condensed insights from a wide range of books.
• Patrick Lincioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team”: A book that profoundly impacted Ryan's thoughts on leadership and team dynamics.

For a comprehensive understanding of strategic planning and intentional leadership in the agribusiness context, listen to the full episode featuring Ryan Hassebrook on "Intentional Agribusiness Leader." Keep tuning in for more episodes that offer powerful insights and stories from the frontlines of agricultural leadership.