Strategic Clarity: Empowering Teams with Mike Steffeck

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Mike Steffeck has been the CEO of HGS BioScience, the largest global manufacturer of dry extracted humates, since 2022 and is based in Jacksonville, Florida. During the 10 years prior to that, Steffeck led a team in the establishment and of growth of Innvictis - a chemical, seed and bioscience company - into a several hundred million dollar company. In 1993, he started his career with FMC Corporation as a sales rep before serving as the NA Marketing Director and the general manager of Latin America North based in Guadalajara, Mexico. After a dozen years at FMC, Mike moved into distribution at United Agri Products (now Nutrien) in the Loveland Products business as commercial director and later, president of the business unit. Steffeck grew up in Mayville, Wisconsin, went to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls and later got his MBA from Drake University in Iowa.

In this thought-provoking episode of the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader" podcast, host A welcomes Mike Steffeck of HGS Bioscience to discuss the compelling nuances of leadership at the highest levels of the agribusiness sector. Right from the start, the conversation delves into the theme of intentional leadership, exploring how clarity and forward-thinking can shape the trajectory of a successful agribusiness.

Mike Steffeck emphasizes the crucial role of intentionality in leadership, revealing how specificity and clarity are foundational for strategic development and empowering team performance. Stefick shares invaluable insights gleaned from his career, including the importance of follow-ups and how leaders can effectively execute strategies while maintaining organizational alignment. The discussion transitions to talent attraction and retention, exploring the challenges and best practices for building motivated, high-performing teams in today's competitive landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• Being intentional as a leader entails providing clarity, setting direction, and allowing team talent to flourish within structured boundaries.
• Effective follow-up is as essential as initial clarity; it ensures accountability and progress towards strategic goals.
• Retention and attraction of talent benefit from conveying a compelling vision and offering engaging growth opportunities.
• Autobiographies and stories of entrepreneurial journeys like Phil Knight's in "Shoe Dog" can provide inspiration and lessons for personal and professional resilience.
• Leadership often involves navigating through uncertainties and challenges, and the ability to maintain momentum and focus is key to success.

Notable Quotes:

• "Whatever your strategy is, whatever your tactics are, whatever you're working on, how clear can you possibly be, how specific can you possibly be and then really let their talent take it from there." - Mike Steffeck
• "People respect what you inspect." - Mike Steffeck highlighting the significance of follow-up in leadership.
• "You only get so many of these windows in a career... you're going to remember the high points and the low points, how you dealt with the low points and how exciting the high points were." - Mike Steffeck on career growth and seizing opportunities.
• "I think that's the leverage you get probably out of some of that explanation. So on one hand, here's the sense of urgency. Here's the demand for the growth... But then here's why." - Mike Steffeck on understanding the reasoning behind goals to improve performance.
• "It's always easy to run when the wind's at your back... What you do in that tough time is what pays off on the backside." - Mike Steffeck on the value of perseverance through difficult periods.

Become a more intentional agribusiness leader by tuning in to this week's episode with Mike Steffeck. Dive into the full conversation for a richer understanding of Mike's approach to leadership, talent management, and growth within the agribusiness sector. Stay with us for more episodes that deliver insights straight from top executives and industry leaders like Mike.