b'GIANT VIEWSIS THE SKY ACTUALLY FALLING??IM HEARING FROM a number of seed companies that are nervousFirst, we need to balance awareness about their future, wondering if nows the time to sell, hunkerof the negatives with a focus on the down or bet the farm to continue to grow.positives. Acknowledge the challenges, If you listen to the media, youd think the sky is falling.but dont let them overshadow the Every headline warns us to brace for impactwhether its infla- opportunities. tion, interest rates, trade tariffs or political turmoil. Its a con- Second, we need to remind our teams stant drumbeat of fear, and the ag industry isnt immune to it.that certainty is a myth. Decisions will But heres the thing: is there really a storm? Or are we justalways involve some level of risk. What being conditioned to think theres one brewing? matters is making informed choices, not Ten years ago, a weather forecast for 32 C didnt comeperfect ones.with warnings of severe conditions. Today, every weather Shawn Brook, app blares about some form of impending doom. Its the same Seed World Groupwith the newsbreaking news now seems to break every President five minutes, whether its warranted or not. This relentless cycle of fear keeps people glued to their screens, but it also stirs up unnecessary anxiety. IVE SEEN IT TIME AND AGAIN: Agriculture, like any other industry, has always experienced its ebbs and flows. Uncertainty isnt new. Whats new is thisCOMPANIES THAT LEAN INTO culture of constant alarmism. Companies are being told to fear the unknown, to avoid making decisions until every variableTHE UNKNOWN, THAT TAKE is accounted for. But guess what? That perfect moment neverCALCULATED RISKS, ARE THE comes.The companies that succeed are the ones that embraceONES THAT COME OUT AHEAD."uncertainty. They make decisions with the information they have, accepting that they wont have all the answers. They understand that sitting on the sidelineskicking the can down the roadisnt a strategy; its a slow death.Ive seen it time and again: companies that lean into the unknown, that take calculated risks, are the ones that come out ahead. They gain market share. They build stabilitynotFinally, lets shift our mindset. because they waited for the storm to pass, but because theyInstead of fearing what might happen, didnt believe the storm was all that catastrophic to begin with. lets focus on what we can make happen. Yes, challenges exist. Inflation, interest rates, and geopoliti- The sky isnt falling; its just a little cal shifts are real. But theyre not new. The world has alwayscloudy, and weve weathered worse.had its share of instability, and yet here we arestill growing,The companies that thrive in 2025 still innovating, still thriving. and beyond will be the ones that stay So how do we, as leaders, guide our teams through thesegrounded, make bold decisions, and times?refuse to let fear dictate their future. 40 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADAJANUARY 2025'