These are problems that common approaches can’t solve. The quick, easy, free, and fun approach won’t work on the farm because there we’re subject to natural laws or governing principles. Natural laws, based upon principles, operate regardless of our awareness of them or our obedience to them. The only thing that endures over time is the law of the farm: I must prepare the
ground, put in the seed, cultivate it, weed it, water it, then gradually nurture growth and development to full maturity. So also in a marriage or in helping a teenager through a difficult identity crisis, there is no quick fix, where you can just move in and make everything right with a positive mental attitude and a bunch of success formulas. The law of the harvest governs. Natural laws and principles operate regardless. So get these principles at the center of your life, at the center of your relationships, at the center of your management contracts, at the center of your entire organization. If I try to use manipulative strategies and tactics to get other people to do what I want—while my character is flawed or my competency is questionable—then I can’t be successful over time. Rhetoric and good intentions aside, if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success. But if we learn to manage things and lead people, we will have the best bottom line because we will unleash the energy and talent of people.