Published as part of the Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute’s Manager’s Library Series
Written by:
John Foltz, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University; and Dean Emeritus, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Economics, University of Idaho
Christine Wilson, Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
Trey Malone, Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness and Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
It is human nature to gravitate toward the path of least resistance. While many of us work hard, sustained focus on significant challenges often feels daunting. These are the “big, hard things” that require stepping out of the familiar into uncharted territory.
Figure 1. The magic happens outside of your comfort zone! Graphic adapted from Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development” (Vygotsky, 1978).
Why do we hesitate to tackle these challenges? Fortunately, many empirical studies explore ways to break through the habits and comfort zones that hold us back. Short-term discomfort can overshadow long-term rewards, but as we frequently remind our students, the real magic happens outside a person’s comfort zone (see Figure 1).
This article explores strategies to help you and your agribusiness embrace big, hard challenges. The potential payoff of pushing through discomfort and persevering—for both personal growth and organizational success—can be transformational.
Different Kinds of Hard
Challenges come in different forms, each presenting unique obstacles. One category is physically demanding tasks. For example, a farm or agribusiness manager might face physically intensive tasks like climbing a grain leg or unloading grain during harvest. However, most managerial challenges are not physically hard, but instead require stamina to see them through, making them physically taxing over time.
Another category involves mentally challenging tasks. These require persistence, perseverance, and sustained focus over long periods. The mental difficulty is often compounded by the fragmented nature of managerial work, where limited blocks of uninterrupted time make it hard to focus on significant projects.
Finally, some challenges are difficult because they lie beyond our comfort zones, as illustrated in the zones of comfort, fear, growth, and panic presented in the popular education model shown in Figure 1. Moving into the growth zone—where real learning and innovation happen—requires overcoming fear and discomfort. These tasks might involve trying something new, taking calculated risks, or addressing uncertainties. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone builds resilience and fosters growth. Tackling these challenges strengthens the individual, driving business innovation and success.
Breaking Old Bad Habits—or Starting New Good Habits
One approach to doing the hard things is to break old, bad habits or form new, good habits. Breaking habits or creating new ones is extremely difficult but can be done. Breaking habits or creating new ones can also remake you or your business. Habits are ingrained actions or behaviors that people perform regularly or as a response to some stimuli. Change is impossible if a person does not know they have a bad habit or is unaware that a good habit might help them. Upon being made aware, the person is alerted to the issue and the desired behavior change. Awareness and desire then motivates the individual (or their employee) to take action to change the behavior or habit. They decide that change would provide a better result. However, intentions are insufficient to make a change—they must be followed with action, where the individual (or their employee) practices the desired behavior change. Maintenance, in the form of hard work, is also required to sustain the desired habit or behavior. It is important to note that the approach outlined above can be used to eliminate a bad behavior or institute a good behavior.
Horowitz on the Hard Things About Hard Things
A recent book by Ben Horowitz, “The Hard Things About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers,” tackles some of this article’s concepts. Horowitz asserts that CEOs tend to be a “positive bunch,” which is a good thing, generally speaking. However, he notes that honesty is far more important than positivity because it builds trust. Horowitz states that communication in a firm is always a challenge and that if employees fundamentally trust you as manager, communications will “be vastly more efficient than if they don’t” (Horowitz, 2014).
Secondly, Horowitz states that “concealing problems from your employees is self-defeating.” He is adamant that managers and owners with a good staff should rely on them to help tackle some of the tough problems their firm faces. Thus, it is important to be honest with employees. Even though it might be hard, it generates trust and ideas from them.
Horowitz also writes that “most companies at some point in their lives face a rival who is beating them in the marketplace and putting their future at risk, and it’s bound to be scary. So scary that many in the organization will do anything to avoid facing it.” But, according to Horowitz, it is critical to understand that when facing a market rival there are only “lead” bullets—no “silver” bullets. Horowitz’s tough-love message about tackling the hard things is instructive, stating, “There comes a time in every company’s life where it must fight for its life. If you find yourself running when you should be fighting, you must ask yourself, ‘If our company isn’t good enough to win, then do we need to exist?’”
Rely on Pre-Commitment
An effective method for tackling tough challenges is to use the psychological principle of pre-commitment, which requires you to share your goals with someone else. Pre-commitment, a concept widely discussed in behavioral economics and psychology, involves making a deliberate choice in advance to bind yourself to a desired course of action, thereby reducing the likelihood of giving in to short-term temptations. Studies by researchers such as Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein have shown that pre-commitment can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving long-term goals because it leverages traits such as accountability and commitment.
For agribusiness managers, pre-commitment can be as simple as sharing an objective with a trusted colleague, spouse, or even a mentor from another business. By doing so, a social contract is created—an implicit agreement that you will follow through on your plans to avoid disappointing the person who knows about your goal. This external accountability acts as a powerful motivator, making you more likely to persist through challenges and avoid procrastination.
An accountability partner can be thought of as your own personal “Jiminy Cricket”—a person offering guidance and holding you to your commitments. While the comparison to the Disney character may sound whimsical, the principle is grounded in robust research. Pre-commitment taps into our natural aversion to social disapproval and helps align our actions with our intentions. Whether your goal is implementing a new sustainability initiative or scaling your operations, sharing your commitment with others can keep you focused and motivated to achieve those “big, hard things” that ultimately drive business success.
No Pain, No Gain
Stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing difficult tasks can lead to meaningful growth and success. Angela Duckworth’s groundbreaking research (Duckworth, et al., 2007) on grit provides compelling evidence to support this mindset. For example, her study of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point demonstrated that grit—defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals—was a stronger predictor of success during the grueling “Beast Barracks” training than intelligence, physical fitness, or leadership potential. Despite immense physical and mental challenges, cadets who exhibited higher levels of grit were more likely to persist and complete the program. Similarly, in the context of the National Spelling Bee, Duckworth found that “grittier” contestants performed better because they devoted more time to deliberate practice, even when it was tedious or difficult.
For agribusiness managers, success often requires tackling “stretch goals” that push teams beyond routine tasks into uncharted territory. Whether implementing innovative technologies, expanding into new markets, or navigating regulatory changes, long-term success depends on cultivating grit within your organization. Like the cadets who endured weeks of rigorous training or the Spelling Bee contestants who persevered through hours of study, agribusiness leaders must embrace discomfort and persist through challenges. Furthermore, communicating these ambitious goals to employees can foster a shared sense of purpose and resilience. By modeling grit and encouraging perseverance, a culture can be created where hard work, persistence, and growth are valued, ultimately driving positive outcomes for your business.
Portions of this publication were originally published by WATT Global Media in Feed and Grain Magazine at:
feedandgrain.com/grain-handling-processing/grain-facility-management/article/15400514/tackle-the-big-hard-stuff-not-the-easy-little-stuff
References
Duckworth, A,L. Peterson, C. Matthews, M.D. & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Horowitz, B. (2014). The hard things about hard things. Harper Collins Publishers.
harpercollins.com/products/the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-ben-horowitz?variant=32122118471714
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674576292
