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Finding Focus and Connection: AgOne Cohort 5, Session Two

By: Laura Davis

Walking into our second AgOne session, the energy felt different. The first-time jitters were gone, replaced by a real sense of excitement and comfort. There’s something special about walking into a room full of friendly people who not only share your passion for agriculture but are also growing right alongside you.

We started by revisiting Simon Sinek’s “Discovering Your Why,” which pushed us to think about what truly drives us. It was a reminder that our why—the thing that fuels how we lead and serve—usually takes shape early in life and doesn’t really change. That reflection helped me see more clearly how my purpose shows up in both my personal and professional life.

Our next session, led by Paul Murphy-Spooner of the United Soybean Board, focused on vision. His examples of agricultural organizations using clear, inspiring visions gave us a helpful framework as we began to write our own mission and vision statements. It wasn’t about crafting perfect words—it was about defining what matters and where we’re headed as leaders.

The afternoon with Dr. Jeff King was a highlight for me. Emotional intelligence is one of those topics that sounds abstract until you really dive in—and Dr. King helped us do just that. We took assessments, discussed our results, and later had one-on-one conversations with him to dig even deeper. That conversation was powerful for me.

Here are my biggest takeaways:

Leveraging Strengths

•  Positive Outlook: I want to keep leaning into my positive attitude, especially during challenges, and help my team stay focused on solutions.
• Self-Awareness: I’ll keep reflecting on my reactions and seeking feedback to strengthen communication and relationships.

Areas for Growth

• Delegation: I’m intentionally identifying what I can hand off to empower others - and making sure I set expectations clearly while giving space to do the work. My goal is to delegate at least one task each day.
• Adaptability: I’m working on being more open to new ideas and flexible in planning—saying “yes, and…” instead of “no, but…” and allowing small-scale experiments to test new approaches.

Dr. King also introduced us to the concept of mood elevators—a reminder that our emotions influence how we think and lead. It’s simple but so important: being aware of our emotional “floor” helps us show up better for the people around us.

As a cohort, we’re really starting to click. We’re learning about each other’s passions and areas of growth, and we’ve started sharing opportunities that tie into both. It’s becoming less like a group and more like a team.

If I had to sum up my biggest takeaway from this session, it would be this: Capability is not equal to capacity. Just because we can do something doesn’t always mean we should. That’s a leadership lesson I plan to carry forward every day.

I’m really looking forward to what’s next—more time with this incredible group, more chances to learn from new leaders, and more growth through the online workshops offered by The Ohio State Leadership Center. Each session reminds me how much there is to learn and how valuable it is to be surrounded by people who want to grow, too.