Science by the Slice

Learning to Lead Trailer

UF/IFAS PIE Center Season 3

You may have heard these words from the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi before, “leaders aren't born, they are made.” But have you ever wondered; how does one make a leader? In this series, you will hear from two guest speakers that represent two different leadership institutes that do just that— help to make leaders. Our guest speakers share their expertise and knowledge related to leadership in the field of agriculture and natural resources. 

In this trailer, you'll hear Christy Chiarelli, Director of the Wedgeworth Leadership Institute (WLI), and Jonathan Dain, Director of the Natural Resources Leadership Institute (NRLI) define true leadership in their own words. 

Music "Spindash" by Blue Dot Sessions Available at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/butterstone/spindash/ Under CC BY license Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The views, information, or opinions expressed by guest speakers on Science by the Slice are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily represent those of the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education or the University of Florida.

Phillip Stokes:

Take a moment and think about impactful leaders in your life. Have you thought of any? If so, maybe you're thinking about teachers, supervisors, coaches, teammates, or even friends or family. What was it about them that made them effective leaders? Well, this week on Science by the Slice, we're discussing leadership development within the Agriculture and Natural Resource sectors. Here's what our guests had to say when asked for their definition of leadership.

Jon Dain:

Yeah, I have a very wordy one, I apologize.

Christy Chiarelli:

Well, you would find 100 different answers to this question from 100 different people. So please know this is the these are just my thoughts on the marks of a true leader.

Jon Dain:

Leadership means giving people the conditions they need to do their work. Leadership means helping people resolve conflict. Leadership means engaging in partnerships that are of benefit to everybody.

Christy Chiarelli:

But for me, to lead, there are two basic parts is that you have to have a destination in mind. And you have to have individuals willing to follow.

Jon Dain:

So leadership with natural resources, is not being the one who's up in front. It's being the one who is both on the dance floor, knowing what's going on in the ground, and on the balcony, looking down from above. And using those perspectives to help those around them collectively, work to better manage our resources for future generations.

Christy Chiarelli:

We're we are trying to encourage people to see the bigger picture for Florida agriculture and natural resources, how, what do we look like in 50, 75, 100 years? What's our vision? How do we keep Florida Florida in the most beautiful ways that it is right? And have a vision for that. And how does your company or how does your organization play a role in that vision for the future of Florida? And then how do we mobilize others to come along with us to that vision and to see that vision?

Jon Dain:

Leadership means taking the time and making the effort to get as many perspectives and as many different interests involved as possible, not so you can say that you asked them that you can really so they feel like they're part of the decision making.

Christy Chiarelli:

So that's what I see as a leader is basically someone that has a clear vision for the future, cares about people and is able to move them to their vision for what the future should look like.

Phillip Stokes:

In this series from Science by the Slice, Jon Dain and Christy Chiarelli discuss their leadership organizations, how those organizations go about cultivating leadership qualities, and why effective leadership is integral to the well being of agriculture and natural resources in the future. So be sure to listen to this series from Science by the Slice, going live this week.