Brent Deidrick: Success Through Clear Goals & Innovative Practices

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

In this episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast, host Mark Jewell sits down with Brent Deidrick, National Sales Manager and CRO at AgXplore. Brent discusses his perspective on intentional leadership in agribusiness, emphasizing the importance of having a clear goal and communicating it effectively to his team. He shares insights into AgXplore’s approach to talent acquisition, retention, and the significance of maintaining a positive mindset within the sales team. Brent also delves into the unique strategies that AgXplore employs, such as their thriving leader program, to foster client relationships and internal growth.

Brent elaborates on the challenges he has faced in his career, particularly in aligning communication across different levels of the organization and adapting to market changes swiftly. He speaks about the methods AgXplore uses to attract and retain talent, including their in-depth recruitment and onboarding processes. Brent also highlights the role of consistent personal and professional development, vulnerability, and staying engaged in his role. Tune in to gain valuable insights into Brent’s leadership philosophy, the innovative practices at AgXplore, and his recommendations for personal growth and professional development.

Key Takeaways:

• Intentional Leadership: Brent stresses the importance of having clear goals and effectively communicating them to ensure everyone is aligned and pulling in the same direction.
• Talent Acquisition and Retention: AgXplore's recruiting process involves multiple touchpoints with potential hires to ensure they fully understand the role and fit well within the company culture.
• Maintaining Positivity: Brent talks about the importance of keeping the sales team’s mindset positive amidst challenges by encouraging open communication and shared wins and losses.
• Personal and Professional Development: Continuous learning and self-awareness are crucial. Brent emphasizes the importance of recognizing one’s strengths and weaknesses to find complementary skills within the team.
• Innovative Client Relationships: Through the thriving leader program, AgXplore builds deeper relationships with clients by investing in their leadership development, creating an environment for open and transformative dialogue.

Notable Quotes:

1. "Anytime I think about anything intentional, I just want to make sure that we have something laid out and go in mind and work our way backwards and start from there." - Brent Deidrick
2. "Just in a normal day-to-day relationship, it's a lot of sales calling. It's a lot of business. And that personal development doesn't happen. No one lets their guard down." - Brent Deidrick
3. "I think it starts with just recognizing yourself and just understanding what you're great at. Lean on that, and then find other people within an organization or make yourself better." - Brent Deidrick
4. "One of the biggest things we can do is to self-recognize our strengths and weaknesses and just make sure we got somebody always to fill in a gap if we have a weakness." - Brent Deidrick
5. "I appreciate that. You worked a couple of years with us. Realistically, it has really helped a lot of our sales guys build some relationships with their customers." - Brent Deidrick

For a deep dive into these insights and more, don’t miss this enlightening episode. Tune in to learn from Brent Deidrick's leadership journey and stay tuned for more inspiring content from the Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast.