2/2/2012 12:00 AM
The first group of mid-level and senior level co-op business unit managers recently met at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center to complete their last event in the three-phase Leadership Advantage program, one of Land O’Lakes Business Development Services premier programs for training co-op leaders. 
Leadership Advantage is a 12-month learning experience that prepares today’s leaders for the challenges of tomorrow’s organization. Participants are select managers and leaders who have demonstrated both sustained business performance and the potential for future advancement.
“Effective leaders are crucial to the success of any organization. They are the critical link between strategy and successful execution of daily priorities,” said Bob Cummins, BDS senior manager for learning and development. “Organizations that effectively develop their leaders have a key advantage over their competitors.”
Specific topics during the three sessions focus on Delivering Results, Mobilizing Talent and Shaping the Future. Part of the program curriculum is a series of Action Learning Assignments where participants integrate the skills they learn into their daily work. According to Cummins, over the past year, these assignments have collectively added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the bottom line of member co-ops.
“I found this program to be extremely beneficial,” said Ted Beckner, feed director at Oakland, Nebraska-based Central Valley Ag. “The training is not just from a textbook. Instead, other co-op leaders share their different perspectives and practical tips that I will be able to use as I manage my staff every day. The interactive process helped me learn more; more information soaked in.”
“The program was a great experience for me. The group size allowed for plenty of valuable interaction as we moved through the different topics,” said Craig Backhaus, grain manager at the Thornton, Iowa-based North Iowa Co-op. “The program helped me gain knowledge on why and how some of the decision-making processes above me are determined, and it opened my eyes to some of my manager’s thought processes.”
“I really enjoyed the topics on managing and motivating people. We all deal with people every day, and we need great people to help run our business. However, managing and motivating people seem to be areas most managers struggle with,” said Jess Cavin, Earlham location manager for FC in Iowa. “I enjoyed hearing/sharing best practices among the group and also felt learning about different strategies to motivate employees was very beneficial.”
Two additional groups of co-op business unit managers will be participating in the program in 2012; with one group holding their second of three sessions in January; and the third group kicking off their first of three sessions in March 2012.
