In this episode, my guest is Patti Durand – author, speaker, facilitator, and mediator ​​specializing in succession planning for family businesses. Patti has just released her first book, The Future Leader – which is effectively a workbook families can read together and use as an instruction guide to work through the tough stuff. We discuss how much of the strife families experience is simply because they do not yet have the language to communicate their needs in a clear and effective way.

Patti shares key information about how assumptions, accountability, and avoidance play a big role in the success of the successor and what you can do to assure it. Our conversation is geared towards folks in agriculture, but Patti has made it a priority to make sure anyone reading her book, no matter their background or gender, is able to benefit from the wisdom within.

“That’s why I had to write a book. This is not an article. This is not one podcast. This is not a keynote. It is such a broad topic. The book is a mile wide and an inch deep. I intentionally want to whet people’s appetites, specifically successor’s appetites, to say there’s a lot of learning to do here. [Let’s] get going.” -Patti Durand

Mentioned During This Episode

Books 

• The Future Leader by Patti Durand
• The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton
• Polarity Management by Barry Johnson

People

• Dick Wittman: Private Consultant to farm, ranch, and agricultural support businesses

Other

• Brightrack Consulting / thefutureleader.ca
• Connections Conference

Elaine Froese Resources & Links

• SPEAKING – book Elaine for your next event
• COACHING – find your Farm Transition Coach
• MEMBERSHIP – become at Farm Family Harmony Member
• RESOURCES – download for FREE  
• CONTACT – take the next steps in your transition

About Our Guest

Patti Durand is a speaker, facilitator, mediator, and author of The Future Leader. 

Her ability to drive quickly to the heart of the issue, and have the courage to ask the hard questions allow her to – in her own words – “move a lot of dirt” in a very short period of time.

• Patti Durand
• The Future Leader Book
• Brightrack Consulting
• Instagram

Submit a Question

Have a burning question you’d like answered on the show by Elaine or one of her amazing coaches? Ask it HERE.

Share Your Thoughts

Did you enjoy this episode of the Farm Family Harmony Podcast? Keep the conversation going by sharing your experiences and perspectives in the comments below. Your involvement is what makes this community THRIVE! Have your say – we’re all ears!

Help us grow our community by rating the show or submitting a review on Spotify or Apple. Sharing an episode with your community, family, and friends, or commenting on Instagram is another great way to show your support!

Timestamps

[0:00:30] Introduction to Patti Durand

[0:01:21] Why the title to Patti’s book changed

[0:03:00] Patti’s path to Brightrack Consulting

[0:05:52] Patti’s key messages

[0:06:53] Why the book was written in 2nd person and without gender

[0:09:21] Giving farmers the language they need for hard conversations

[0:10:30] The thing about assumptions

[0:13:23] Awareness and better decision-making at an earlier age

[0:16:14] What’s stopping people from breaking down assumptions

[0:17:15] Transparency and personal wealth bubbles

[0:20:23] Accountability when you don’t know the answer

[0:21:58] Why founders find financial transparency so difficult

[0:23:39] Communication habits that are not serving us

[0:24:50] A peer network beyond your family

[0:29:30] What drives Patti’s passion