Executive Insights: Clock Builders, Not Time Tellers

Executive Insights: Clock Builders, Not Time Tellers

By Kirk Leeds, kleeds@iasoybeans.com

In agriculture, where weather, markets and policies can shift overnight, lasting success doesn't come from flashy fixes or headline-worthy wins. It comes from building something that endures.

That's why the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) doesn't just "tell time." Instead, we build clocks.

Business author Jim Collins coined this phrase in his book, "Built to Last." Time tellers, he writes, are those who rely on one great idea or one brilliant leader to make things happen. Clock builders, on the other hand, are leaders and organizations that create systems and structures that keep ticking long after a project is completed or any one person is gone.

It's easy to be tempted by quick fixes. Time tellers love short-term wins, like a flashy new tool, one-time event, or feel-good moment in the spotlight.

That's not the ISA way. Real progress means building systems that work year after year. Examples include ISA's Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) and the Iowa Soybean Research Center. Sustained investments in data-driven, farmer-led research are the building blocks in a larger system designed to improve agronomic, environmental and economic outcomes over time.

Improving soil health and water quality isn't about checking boxes or chasing headlines. It's about doing the foundational work — measuring, modeling and adapting practices — so we can build something durable and meaningful for agriculture and for all of Iowa.

Clock builders don't rely on a single leader to carry the vision. They build leadership systems that enable continuity of effort and outcomes over many years.

ISA is proud of its farmer-led board, emphasis on governance training, and developing emerging leaders. When board terms end and new members step in, the mission doesn't change.

Clock builders also select ideas and technologies that stand the test of time.

ISA supports digital tools, conservation systems, and new soybean uses that are transformative, not trendy. Whether it's improving variable-rate seeding strategies, advancing expanded biofuel markets, or finding new pathways for renewable soy-based products, we back innovation that supports long-term farmer and industry success.

We always ask, "Will this work for more than one growing season" "Is it scalable?" "Does it add value for farmers in measurable ways?" Asking the right questions keeps us focused.

Our market development and policy advocacy programs are also built to serve generations of farmers. That's why we build partnerships that last and constantly revisit our strategic plan to ensure we're staying true to our mission.

Clock building isn't flashy. It takes patience, persistence and willingness to think beyond the next quarter or crop year. It's also what makes ISA different and effective.

We're not here to tell time. We are here to build the clock and keep it ticking for future generations of soybean farmers.