The grain and feed industry faces unprecedented challenges, from labor shortages to rapid technological change. At the 2026 GEAPS Exchange, leadership expert Shaun Lee, managing partner and co-founder of 6 Levers, shared three critical competencies that can help managers create more resilient, effective teams.
Lee, focused on shifting from traditional management approaches to creating conditions where people thrive. “The reality for most of us is that we’re still leaning on capabilities from last century,” he explained. “We need to shift our mindset from just influencing and managing to achieve certain results to: How do I create the conditions for people to thrive?”
Building psychological safety for better collaboration
The first competency focuses on psychological safety – the ability for team members to share ideas and express opinions without fear of negative consequences. Lee noted that research shows this is “the most foundational characteristic of all high-performing teams.”
However, studies reveal that only 40% of leaders demonstrate these characteristics effectively. Common behaviors that break psychological safety include being quick to criticize new ideas or reacting defensively to feedback. “I coach a lot of executive teams, and defensive behavior is the one I see a lot,” Lee observed. “What it does to everyone else in the room is they replay the last three times that happened and tell themselves, ‘I’m just not gonna do that this time.’”
Meeting human needs to drive engagement
The second competency addresses employee engagement through meeting fundamental human needs like connection, clarity, and significance. Lee emphasized that less than one-third of U.S. employees are engaged at work, and “managers account for 70% of variance” in engagement levels.
Simple changes can make significant impacts. Adding a five-minute personal check-in to team meetings builds connection, while regularly reviewing priorities together drives clarity. “You can’t add value unless you first feel value,” Lee explained. “If you’re frustrated with the lack of value that your people are adding, think to yourself: do they themselves feel value?”
Practicing upstream thinking for adaptability
The final competency involves developing an upstream mindset to address root causes rather than symptoms. Lee used the example of high turnover rates, where organizations often respond with better recruitment and compensation packages without examining underlying workplace issues.
“The overwhelming majority of the problems we face are systems problems,” he noted. “Instead of fixing the systems, we tend to go right in for behavior modification.” By asking questions like “What factors might be influencing their behavior?” leaders can identify more impactful solutions.
These three competencies offer grain and feed operations a framework for building stronger, more adaptable teams capable of navigating industry challenges while creating better workplace experiences for employees.
