68. The Things Leaders Bury
From Your Ag Empire by Jonathon Haralson & Holly Haralson
April 22, 2026 · 1h 0m · Season 2 · Episode 68
About this episode
Tyler Dickerhoof discusses the emotional challenges leaders face in agriculture and the importance of relationships in passing down family operations.
Tyler Dickerhoof grew up on an Ohio dairy farm and spent 25 years building a massive business career. He also spent most of that time operating like a bulldozer. When things got hard, he simply put his head down and pushed. That works in the dirt, but it destroys relationships. In this episode, Tyler sits down with “Your Ag Empire” podcast host Jonathon Haralson to talk about the things leaders bury. They cover the emotional toll of agriculture, why farmers isolate themselves, and what it actually takes to pass the family operation to the next generation without burning it to the ground. In this episode, we cover: When things get tough, the default reaction in agriculture is to put your head down and push harder. That brute force might get the daily job done, but it isolates you and wrecks the relationships you need to survive. Elite military units do not look for the guy who can do everything alone. They look for the guy who links arms with the person next to him. Farming is no different. You have to drop the pride and ask for help. The older generation holds onto the checkbook and the daily decisions because they do not know who they are without the farm. Passing the baton only…
People in this episode
Host: Jonathon Haralson
Guest: Tyler Dickerhoof
Topics covered
- leadership
- agriculture
- relationships
- emotional toll
- generational transition
Keywords
- farming
- isolation
- help
- generational transition
- adaptation
Mentioned in this episode
Products: tractor, robotics, artificial intelligence
Books & works: “Your Ag Empire
Places: Ohio
More episodes of Your Ag Empire
- 67. You’re Treating Your Horse Better Than Your Own Back · April 15, 2026 · 47 min
- 66. Choosing to Start Over · April 8, 2026 · 1h 0m
- 65. How One Easy A Changed Everything · April 1, 2026 · 1h 1m
- 64. Global Ag Perspectives with Pete Debus · March 4, 2026 · 46 min
- 63. Making Insurance Work Harder for Your Operation · February 18, 2026 · 18 min
- 62. Love and Leverage in Ag · February 11, 2026 · 13 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Your Ag Empire podcast page.