In order to improve leaders’ value systems, we need to regain the values of agrarian society. Leadership expert Vana Prewitt argues that the current leadership theories are based on modernist assumptions and are out of date with leading today’s postmodern organizations. Given this dilemma, I advocate for a different kind of 21st leadership.
Agrarian leadership is defined as a contextual influence that has an impact on subordinates’ attitudes and performance by leaders who are both value and results driven. Agrarian leaders view their followers as critical parts of the socio-technical system. Therefore, technology does not drive the value system of society.
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Before the Industrial Revolution, life was centered on land and labor. Life was simple for the leader in agrarian society. Rural living revolved around the land; owning it was equivalent to self-sufficiency and liberty. Although Americans lived in a tribal structure prior to the Agrarian Era (1650-1849), farming communities operated in a decentralized economy.
Agrarians exercised a strong spirituality and a deep respect for the environment. There was a genuine concern for neighbors and co-workers. Being a leader was a major responsibility. In fact, farmers were like heroes because of their hard work, contributions to society, independence, and moral standards. A man’s word meant something. With the transition from an agrarian to industrial society, untainted leadership was lost.
The Industry Revolution meant major changes to the American way of life. Before that period, over 90% of Americans lived rurally. Farmers influenced society. Between 1870 and1900, rural areas doubled and urban areas tripled. Farmers were cautious about these societal changes.
Industrial managers faced challenges such as generating new efficiencies while expanding operations. Chaos theory was in effect because those managers couldn’t control these organizational changes (both inside and outside). Factory managers lacked a process to motivate the unskilled (former agrarian) workforce. This era created new advances and new problems.
The Industrial Revolution forever changed agrarian society, primarily due to market economy and technology. Farmers were less self-sufficient and became “economic market” slaves. This created conflict because farmers and industrial society had different values. Farming became more productive, but fewer farmers were needed.
As a result of these advances, farmers lost their independence, family focus, and societal influence on moral conduct. For example, some managers found factory workers breaking equipment. Consequently, managers tried to institute positive and negative rewards; these managers used conventional wisdom: “the hungriest man makes the best worker.” Once again, mankind was moving away from his calling—the land.
Therefore, advances in technology do not always equate to a better society. Many techno advocates would argue that technology has provided superior virtues. I beg to differ. First, technology doesn’t automatically improve society. In over 50 years, America has gone from rural to city and from national to international markets. Richard Critchfield, author of Trees, Why Do You Wait: America’s Changing Rural Culture, argues that these advancements have weakened our core values such as family tradition and work ethic.
Secondly, the disintegration of the agrarian code has destroyed our moral stability. Osha Davidson, author of Broken Heartlands, suggests that technology and the economic prestige of the agricultural system brought a host of social ills such as poverty, depopulation, and soil erosion.
Finally, we may consider agrarian lifestyle primitive. However, agrarian values shouldn’t be forgotten as good leadership attributes. We continue to advance technology by leaps and bounds while the values of society continue to disintegrate with each innovation. In society, many leaders exhibit unethical conduct, pursuing wealth. Throughout American history, we see the consequences.
Do you feel that agrarian leadership is a term that will fit in the Green Economy? Can today’s leaders acquire, develop, or revitalize agrarian values in their leaders in the 21st century? If so, how?
© 2010 by Daryl D. Green
January 19, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Filling positions (especially manager spots) is a time delicate decision. However, HR managers have to incorporate more formal training with promotions into leadership positions. Your firm posts a job for a mid-level manager and you fill it based off someone’s resume and interview. But for all you know, he/she lied on their resume, and doesn’t know the first thing about effectively leading others. Send all new hires into a training course. Even a 1 week management fundamentals course is better than nothing. It would be easy to argue that it would be a worthwhile investment. Firms should do their due diligence, and ensure the members hired are given at least the minimum company cultural knowledge to succeed.
January 19, 2010 at 11:23 am
The agrarian way of life has important fundamentals that I believe must be followed. The agrarian leader isn’t just a land owner but it is a leader of a family and community, an example to be followed. The traditional agrarian leader respects and is respected by normally a big family (sons and daughters, normally a lot of kids) and all employees, neighbors and the community. They have a great feeling of gratitude for what the land and God give to them. This respect, ethics and gratitude with the land is a little bit forgotten now a days.
Today with the city life, some of the basics agrarian way of life are forgotten. People hardly have a big family. The leaders are more independent to decision making. That’s the big difference for the agrarian leaders. They need to work together to get a better price for their production between other services.
A Green Economy request a lot of these principals to work properly. The necessity of work together and the respect and gratitude for what you can get with your work are the major aspects that we future leaders must follow from an agrarian structure.
January 20, 2010 at 11:50 am
With all the positive things I can say about technology, I have to agree with the statement that technology have ruined our core values such as work ethic and family tradition. I think that every era has its own advantages as well as disadvantages, new era brings something new and unique to our lives. Unfortunately, our values change as well. Is it good or bad? I am sure it depends on the way we look at it; there is not a straight answer.
What comes to the question whether today’s leaders acquire, develop, or revitalize agrarian values in their leaders in the 21st century, I have to agree with Landon. Values are something that people gain over a long period of time; it cannot be changed overnight. I think that this tough economy have affected management somewhat in a positive way; many people have lost their jobs and in order to be able to keep their jobs, many managers had to change their ways and work ethics. It was and still is a competition, if a manager cannot run a company with limited resources or be ethical to keep employees happy – there will be someone who will be able to manage that.
Can we go back to agrarian structure? I doubt. But we should learn from examples and borrow principles to improve leadreship.
January 20, 2010 at 1:28 pm
I believe that Landon posed a very good point in that the values attained by the agrarians would need to be learned over time. In our new technology advancing age that we currently live in; the number of agrarian type people are slowly being converted away from their lifestyle. It’s hard for someone to sit idly by and watch someone reap the benefits are working smarter and not harder, while not attempting at some point to achieve the same results. It may be on a smaller scale but it does have to start somewhere. Those with a mindset that if its not broken don’t fix it; may have the best chance of sticking to their roots. I do however, think that the Green Economy could attempt to revitalize the agrarian values in our leaders, but do not believe that it will take off. We live in a dog eat dog world in which many leaders live unethically and perform cut-throat acts to stay ahead. We will always have the few, the proud, and the chosen agrarians who will stick to their values much like the hardworking farmers from our nation’s past.
January 21, 2010 at 9:10 am
Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat and a columnist for the New York Times, has indicated that the shift we are in now is of a similar magnitude to the 19th century shift from the agrarian society to an industrial society. The shift to green is influencing nearly every sector of our economy in one way or another. I found a list of characteristics that one show have to be able to strive or lead into a green economy. They are:
• Self-reliant — pioneers tend to depend on their own wits and knowledge.
• Passionate – pioneers are driven by their belief in something better.
• Strength – pioneers rely on their inner strength to pull them through difficult times to a better day.
• Risk-taker – pioneers are willing to take a chance, to try something that has no guarantee, to attempt something that may or may not work the first time.
• Resourceful – pioneers are always searching for opportunities, finding a way to make it work.
• Tracker – pioneers have the ability to find their way with a few key clues.
• Early adopters – pioneers create a path that makes it easier for those who follow. Stepping into the unknown is exciting.
• Resilient and persistent – pioneers don’t let unexpected detours stop them. They keep going to get where they want to go.
• Ask and listen – pioneers who are successful ask those who have gone before them for input and suggestions. They also listen to their own intuition and pay attention to the signs around them.
These are all very important characteristics that any good leader or manager should have.
Ref.: Green Career Central. http://www.greencareercentral.com/public/294.cfm
January 21, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Hi Griffin,
Great list of attributes! Yet, the current organizational structure (in general) do not create an atmosphere for building this type of leader. If we are serious about ‘people being our most important resource,’ how do organizations stimulate these characteristics?
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Can today’s leaders acquire, develop, or revitalize agrarian values in the 21st century? Absolutely, but values aren’t something you can simply read to have instilled in your daily life. Values have to be learned over time, and must be witnessed in action from someone displaying them to fully understand how to incorporate them into their own life. The Army has a list of core values that it teaches and drills into the head of every soldier that goes through basic training: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. The values are to be lived by, and create a strong, more dependable individual, and an even stronger leader. Violation of these values could lead to penalties such as extra work or loss of pay. Now, am I suggesting that everyone join the military to gain values? Not at all. Nor am I suggesting that firms conduct business like the Army. However, more formal leadership training for promotions (like in the Army) would be a great way to insure your future leaders know how to handle subordinates correctly, and also to insure your leaders know the correct ethical standards you want your firm to be viewed as. If you promote a salesperson for having the highest sales, do you know if he/she achieved those goals ethically? Do you know if he/she even knows how to manage others? My point is that, while I hate training as much as anyone, more formal leadership training would be an excellent way to ensure your future leaders at least know the standards you expect them to uphold for your firm. I would also suggest, though I don’t have statistics to back it up, that military personnel make for better leaders.
References:
http://www.goarmy.com/life/living_the_army_values.jsp
Landon, excellent points! I agree that values are learned over time. However, today’s organizations are in disarray as it relates to value based decision making (at least on the surface). In short, they are running out of time.
How can organizations get an infusion of ‘what you suggested?’