Where I come from, sugarcane is King! Sugarcane arrived in Louisiana with the Jesuit priests in 1751, who planted it near their church in what is now downtown New Orleans. The sugarcane industry has continued to grow and flourish (pun intended) lo these many years.

We recently spent the weekend with some friends at an historic plantation home in St. Martinville, Louisiana. It is a working plantation with the sugar mill located right next to the home. We visited in October, which is right in the thick of grinding season – or the harvest time when the sugarcane is brought to the mill for processing. I love watching the cane trucks and wagons deliver the harvest to the mill.

I’d like you to imagine for a moment that you are a sugarcane farmer. You have the opportunity to farm acres and acres of land. Your equipment is capable of harvesting all of your acreage and you have the potential to make a huge profit.

Would you farm and harvest only two of your fields and leave the other two fields to go to waste? Hardly! You would farm, harvest, and fully process all four fields, getting the maximum possible benefit/profit from these natural resources.

In business, why would you deal with people any differently? Often leaders fail to realize or draw out the maximum possible benefit from their greatest natural resources – their people. But to reap your best possible harvest, just like with sugarcane farming, you must maximize your resources.

I’m not a farmer, (although I used to own some overalls at one time), but I’ve put together a few tips for cultivating and harvesting a banner crop:

Soil – As any good farmer knows, you’ve got to start off with good, nutrient-rich soil to grow anything successfully. You will want to till and prepare your land before you begin planting to provide the proper foundation for your crop. In business, you need to provide a proper foundation and plan for success. Identifying and establishing your mission, vision, and values for your organization or even your division of the organization is important so that your team members know the growth plan.

Seed – Perhaps it goes without saying but in farming you need to select a crop that is suited for your climate and environmental conditions. Sugarcane is best grown in a tropical or semi-tropical climate, so it is well-suited for the warm, sultry, often steamy climate of South Louisiana. As a leader, you must make wise choices in selecting team members. Although perhaps well-qualified, not everyone will be a good fit for your organization or with your team.

Fertilize - Not all of the nutrients necessary for a bountiful harvest will be available from the soil, so some fertilization will be necessary. Using the right kind of fertilizer and in the proper amounts will be key to nourishing a healthy crop. As a leader, it is up to you to “nourish” and nurture your team members by providing learning and growth opportunities. Sit down with employees and devise a development plan for each individual. Allow team members to further develop their strengths, explore interests, and hone their skills.

Irrigate – As you may know – if you’ve ever spent five consecutive minutes in South Louisiana – it tends to rain a lot here. Sugarcane, like many crops, needs proper, consistent irrigation. Although we get a lot of rain, it’s not necessarily consistent. So many cane farmers irrigate their fields. As a leader, once you’ve prepared the proper foundation and put together a winning team, you’ve got to maintain a work environment and business culture that allows team members to thrive. A work environment of respect and dignity are essential. View each team member as an individual, with valuable gifts and talents to contribute to the organization.

Harvest – Starting in the fall, typically October, harvesters cut off the cane tops and cane loaders place the cane in large wagons for transport to the sugar mills.

At the raw sugar mill, the sugarcane is washed, crushed, and the juice is boiled down to a thick syrup. The cane by-product is bagasse, which is used as a fuel to power the factories. The thick syrup is separated into sugar crystals (“raw sugar”) and molasses (used in livestock feed). Every bit of the sugarcane is processed and utilized. As a leader, your role is to bring out the best that each individual has to give to accomplish company goals. Don’t let any talents go to waste. Both the individual and the organization will realize a cornucopia of benefits.

By investing in your greatest natural resource – your people – you can cultivate untapped strengths, draw out hidden talents and reap a sweet harvest.