17 September 1996 Call on for Rural Leadership scholars

Effective leadership demands the thinking out of sound strategies that meet people's needs and the ability to communicate ideas to followers.

Lincoln University's Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, is aimed at developing these essential skills among rural leaders, says director Dr Alastair McArthur, and applications are open now for the 14th course which starts in February 1997.

The closing date is 31 October and those wishing to become Kellogg Rural Leadership Scholars should write to Dr McArthur at the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, Lincoln University, Canterbury, for an application form.

The course, founded in 1979 and regarded as the country's top rural leadership training opportunity, was originally funded by the Kellogg Foundation of the United States but is now backed by New Zealand's Joint Producer Boards.

It is structured around the two key leader ship skills of policy analysis and communication.

"Rural policy-makers need to understand the role of key institutions in the rural community," says Dr McArthur. "They need to be aware of the important economic and social issues and of political processes in New Zealand.

"How to get hold of information using a computerised library is practised. And in order not to get taken in by propagandists, scholars learn how to think critically by identifying crooked thinking.

"Having cleared the manure out of the stables, the leader has to go through the decision making process to identify useful policies. A project undertaken during the course will allow participants to practise the necessary skills for this.

"Colleen Mills, who directs the communication part of the course is a gifted teacher and she will give the leadership scholars a communication model with which to analyse communication performance. They will also have ample opportunity to practise writing and speaking techniques.

"A current example of rural leadership in action can be seen in Federated Farmers' campaign focusing on the high value of the New Zealand dollar as a cause of low farm­ gate prices," says Dr McArthur.

"The over-valued dollar is also slowing down the growth in manufactured exports and the contribution of export industries are able to make to employment.

"Farming leadership is not opposed to Reserve Bank policies in general but to over­ confidence in the New Zealand dollar.

"Federated Farmers have the first leadership leg – policy – sorted out. Many of its members have been through the Kellogg Rural Leadership course, including the new President, Malcolm Bailey. I hope they will attend to the 'communication leg ' too – getting farmers in behind them. Many of their rural colleagues are bleeding from low prices and high interest rates. Some of these farmers want a return to direct Muldoonist assistance, but they should remember the biblical adage: 'Put not they trust in Princes'.

"Tramping leadership provides a good example of the two essentials of leadership," says Dr McArthur.

"The leaders need to know the way and how long it will take the party to get from hut to hut. Good leaders have contingency plans 'up their sleeves' in case the party gets into difficulties. All this needs to be communicated to the non-leaders who must be confident that the leaders know what they are doing. The followers must understand and respect the rules for the trip so they don't put themselves or their mates at risk.

"And so it is with leadership in any context, and that’s what we aim to teach in the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme."

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.