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June 15, 2012 8:27 AM
Lessons From a Great Man
This month’s article carries a much more somber tone than that of last month. In recent weeks the agricultural community has had to deal with the extremely heartbreaking loss of one of our greatest advocates: Mr. Mark Pearson.
Mark touched each Iowa agriculturalist through many different avenues, and in many different ways.
First and foremost, Mark loved people. His gregarious personality and witty sense of humor forged instantaneous friendships—thousands of them. No matter what mood you were in, or what kind of a day you had been having, Mark’s voice immediately brought a smile to your face.
Tara and I had the opportunity to get to know Mark over the last several years. In grieving his passing, we began to think of the many different lessons in life that Mark had taught us. Here is what stood out the most.
You can’t afford to have inhibitions about who you are
In the past week I have heard Mark referred to as a “Ronald Regan caliber communicator”. Communicating to groups of people was indeed his forte. He leveraged this talent to its fullest extent through radio, television, and entertaining thousands as the keynote at many events. Always being full of new and progressive ideas, I wonder what other “Reganesque” feats he might have had ambition to accomplish using his talents.
The world values you for your talents, abilities and qualities. Not because you can closely replicate the abilities of someone else. Thus, one need not waste time replicating, rather hone the god given strengths that you have and leverage them for the greatest amount of good. Conversely, your weaknesses will probably always be weaknesses no matter how hard you try to overcome them. So stop trying and get on with it!
Push the limit/ Push the envelope
Take a look at all of the irons Mark had in the fire…The Big Show, Market to Market, an Edward Jones shop, farming, speaking engagements, and his top priority; his Family. Yet, with all that he had going on, Mark was continually innovating and adding to his ever busy schedule.
One day he pitched the idea of a “Great Antique Tractor Ride” …A gathering of hundreds of farmers to socialize, show off their prize machines, and tour different areas of the state. Can you imagine the skepticism that this idea was met with initially? Think of all of the organization and planning that it would take to pull something like this off. Yet with all that he had going on, he continued to drive the project forward and develop the Great Iowa Tractor Ride into the annual success that it is today.
People who toe the line seldom get very far. However, people who push, challenge, and occasionally cross the line go down in history as one of (or a combination of) three types: Geniuses, Innovators, and Rebels. All of which are better than being boring.
Ask questions
Being a journalist by trade, Mark routinely asked many questions. He carried this much further than his profession as he was genuinely interested in learning about people and finding out what was going on in their life, what was important to them, and what made them tick. Seldom did he talk about himself or his accomplishments, rather found ways to ask more questions of you. Mark was absolutely masterful in the art of conversation.
In the book How to Win Friends and Influence People; by Dale Carnegie; (my mom made me read it in 5th grade as my teachers kept complaining that “Rob just doesn’t play well with others”) the author outlines that the majority of people enjoy and are comfortable talking about themselves. Therefore, ask lots of questions, keep the conversation focused outside of yourself, and people will instantaneously warm up to you and enjoy your company. On top of that, inquisitive people dig for and gather information. Information drives progress.
Laugh at yourself regularly
Mark loved to laugh and he loved to make people laugh. Humor came very naturally to him, and he was always quick with a joke or witty comment. His jokes always went over incredibly well as they were usually directed at, or a result of a personal blunder in his life, not the life of someone else. Topics such as machinery mishaps, uncooperative livestock, travelling struggles, and generally inconvenient circumstances made it to top of the joke list.
Some folks take life way too seriously. When bad luck finds them they get upset, fail to find the humor in the situation or the error in their judgment, and ultimately are not a lot of fun to be around. In dealing with people and developing relationships, be it business, personal, or otherwise, jokes and stories around personal/self inflicted blunders and mishaps are well received and great ways to soften the tone and engage others.
In the near future I am sure we will hear new voices behind the microphone and new faces on television, but the spirit and memory of Mark Pearson will live on in the hearts of those he touched forever. Mark loved American farmers, especially their tenacity and progressiveness, and I am sure is cheering each one of us on as we continue to drive our industry forward. This summer when you are walking your fields or greasing your machinery, take a few seconds to look up and give Mark a wave. I’m sure he will be smiling and waving right back down at you.
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