Leadership Programme provides a pathway for progression

Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) Leadership scholar Scott Harvey grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa and thought that would be his career path, but instead he found a passion for producing a different kind of food.

“I always pictured myself roaming the hills with a team of dogs,” says Scott, who is an agronomist with A S Wilcox and Sons, based in Pukekohe. “I got into horticulture by accident. I’d finished a previous job and was offered this role and thought ‘that looks a bit different, I’ll check it out’. Seven years later, I’m still here.”

Scott already had a Bachelor of Agriculture Science (Hons) from Lincoln University under his belt and experience working as a sales agronomist but says he found horticulture provided different and interesting challenges.

He is now managing the onion crop programme for the company and his role incorporates the whole supply chain, from planning and growing a crop, through post-harvest handling to sales and marketing.

“You are dealing with a lot of stuff that is out of your control and you have to manage that for successful outcomes,” he says. “Every year requires a different approach and you don’t really know what will happen every day. It keeps you on your toes constantly and I enjoy that.

“It is very satisfying knowing you are helping the community by providing jobs locally and it is very rewarding to see your produce in the supermarkets and knowing you have contributed to putting healthy food on tables. That really resonates with me.

“One of the key things I took away from the leadership programme was the need to be versatile in your leadership. Horticulture involves a lot of variety and so do people. We have to adapt to weather and different conditions all the time but there’s a risk you can forget to adapt to people. That is a critical skill.

“I also took away a lot about self-reflection and understanding what is driving your behaviours and recognising the signs when you are dipping below the line.”

Scott had previously applied to participate in the HortNZ leadership programme and says he felt very privileged to be selected for 2024. He also saw it as an opportunity to connect with the wider industry.

He and his fellow cohort undertook the programme in two phases over nine weeks between August and October – including five days in Auckland and a further three days in Wellington.      

The programme focuses on building increased confidence to take the lead and influence into the future and a greater understanding of what leadership is really all about.

It supports development of ‘ready to use’ leadership and business skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving and a wider perspective around how to address industry issues now and into the future.

Participants work to develop a personal plan for how they intend to go forward in their leadership career.

“Being selected this time, I really felt I had earned a place on the programme,” says Scott. “The content was very good. It was structured really well in terms of how it played out across the week and how it progressed. There was a very good range of speakers on diverse points of view for the business and also targeted speakers around leadership. Everyone brought a different flavour and good learnings.

“I also really enjoyed being part of a group of like-minded people, all there wanting to better themselves and our industry. It was very energising being in a room full of people that challenge you and think about things differently and give a different perspective.

“It also means you are making yourself get off farm and work on yourself, which with all the demands of growing, is perhaps something we don’t do enough of in this business.”

He sees the programme as a very good pathway for people to progress in the sector.

“It puts an onus on the individual. You are provided with an opportunity to learn and also a huge networking opportunity. We work in a small industry, so building those communities and opportunities to collaborate and engage is critical to the sector moving forward.

“Nurturing leadership in the industry is how it will progress and enable us to hold our place as one of the world’s primary food producers. A lot of other players globally are working hard to improve their industries, so providing pathways for leadership in our industry is crucial to that and to the big push to double the value of exports.”

Scott sees attracting good people and adopting new technology as both the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity for New Zealand horticulture.

“It is critical to get the right people working in the industry. We also have to have the ability to adapt to and grasp new technologies to improve the industry and do better. Technology will be the key to improved productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability.”

Scott’s future goals include continuing his personal progression in his role and also taking on wider leadership roles in the sector.

“I am part of the family business now and so I want to see opportunities for that to grow for future generations, but I would also like to support the development of the industry as a whole.”