LJM Associates Ltd

  The last year has been a very busy year, full of activity - I wonder what the next year has in store...

 I returned for a second chat on the Pasture Bedtime podcast to talk about all things food safety. Whether it's food fraud, allergens, imports, food standards, labelling, product recalls, or considerations for planning to sell direct, it's was all covered in our chat. Do check it out here .

  In this episode of Farming Focus™, the host Peter Green engaged in discussion with me to talk about the 2026 OFC report I authored and Devon farmer Andy Gray. We explored how South West farmers can build resilient, investable businesses by embracing change, asking difficult questions and focusing on opportunity rather than uncertainty. You can check out the lively discussion in Episode 63  here .  

  Imposter syndrome shows up as feelings of self-doubt despite having achieved a lot in our lives and our work. We might meet those milestones that we set for ourselves yet we can worry it’s just luck, or that someone will “find out” that we’re not as capable as we should be. We fear being noticed for when we fail to deliver rather than when we achieve. Self-doubt can feel especially intense as a leader, but all leaders can feel this way at some point in their lives.   If left unrecognised and if we don’t recognise these feelings, imposter syndrome can quietly shape our attitudes and our behaviours:  We can work continuously to “prove” ourselves  We can fail to celebrate our successes  We can downplay our contribution to delivering solutions  We miss out on opportunities because we lack confidence  We can keep repeating these patterns of behaviour leading to exhaustion, anxiety even burnout. These behaviours can prevent us from growing personally an...

  Taking time out and about to just see what is around you..

Taking time out in nature....

  What better place to go to decompress for a couple of days... Devon... 

  Trust is not given because of a title or position; it is earned through consistent actions over time. It grows when our words and actions align, when we listen before we speak, and when we demonstrate reliability, fairness, and respect in our relationships. Trust is strengthened by openness and confidence that others will always act with integrity. Trust cannot be built overnight, but through countless small moments of honesty, encouragement, and dependability. Once established, trust enables collaboration, co-creation and innovation. Trust is the foundation upon which strong relationships, effective leadership, and thriving communities are built.

Accountability is the willingness to take ownership of our decisions, actions, and their consequences. It is not about assigning blame or seeking perfection, but about responding with honesty, humility, and a commitment to learn. Accountable leaders keep their promises, admit when they have made mistakes, and remain open to feedback because they understand that trust is built through transparency and consistency.

Ernest Hemingway said "Never confuse movement with action!"  In our personal lives and the organisations we work in we often meet seemingly very busy people, but whilst they are filling their time, are they actually being effective? We may measure our output in terms of the length of our working day, the volume of emails, reports or widgets we produce, but are these good measures of effectiveness or performance for our organisations, departments and teams? What performance indicators are appropriate to our roles and responsibilities or the wider business? We could: D evelop financial measures include return on capital employed, profitability, resource efficiency to determine economic effectiveness R eview actual results and outputs not just activities to determine functional effectiveness; A ssess behavioural change to deliver personal effectiveness;  M onitor supplier, customer and employee satisfaction with performance to determine supply chain level effectiveness A nalyse ...

  Stewardship begins with recognising that leadership is not about ownership; it is about integrity and responsibility. Whether we lead a team, care for a landscape, manage resources, or support a community, we are stewards of something that matters to us and others. Our role is not simply to preserve and maintain what maters but to leave it better than we found it.

Integrity is formed through many small actions rather than a few grand gestures or speeches. It is founded on keeping promises, treating others with fairness and respect, and admitting mistakes when they occur. Without integrity it is hard to build trust, relationships and long lasting commitment. Integrity is about continuity in the values we hold and how they align with the actions we take. 

Once we know what we are trying to achieve with our organisation/business the next question is "what will we keep doing?"  We should keep doing what adds value to us, our organisation and the people involved in it. We should keep listening to our customers about what they like, and don’t like about the products and services we produce.  We should act on their feedback. We should test new ideas and learn quickly from the outcomes and also from the missteps we take. We should keep collaborating with others, give credit for success generously, and share feedback and feedforward with others with respect and integrity. We should keep prioritising clarity and clear thought over noise, and long-term impact over short-term wins.  We should keep showing up for ourselves and others, be curious, accountable, and kind. We should recognise when elements of the organisation are working, and not working, and take the actions we need to take to make the organisation robust, resilient ...