When South West Victoria farm manager Gregor Mews arrived at Marcus Oldham College for its renowned rural leadership program, he wasn’t sure he belonged in the room.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I questioned whether I was the right person to be there,” the 27-year-old said. “But the biggest thing I learned is that no one is waiting for you to fail. People are there to support you, and the only way to lead is to take the first step.”
Originally from Scotland, Gregor now manages a dairy farm team of three and volunteers on the Young Dairy Network (YDN) committee. After being encouraged by a colleague, he seized the opportunity to attend the five-day live-in leadership program, sponsored by Gardiner Foundation.
Each year, Gardiner supports emerging leaders from Victoria’s dairy industry to participate in the intensive program, one of Australia’s longest-running rural leadership courses. Held in Geelong, it attracts participants from across agriculture and agribusiness and is known for its small class sizes, practical workshops and facilitators who deeply understand rural communities.
Gregor completed the program in August and said the biggest shift was learning how to work with people’s emotions, motivations and communication styles.
“When you’re leading a team, emotions play the biggest role in how people react. If you understand how someone listens and processes information, you can lead them a lot further.”
“Since the program, I’ve realised not everyone learns the same way. What works for one person won’t work for another, so I’ve been adjusting how I communicate.”
Gregor stepped into a formal management role earlier this year, just as the region faced one of its toughest seasons in recent memory.
“This drought was something I’d never experienced,” he said. “You didn’t know when it would break. Finding feed wasn’t like other years where it’s just there; it was a case of hunting for it.”
The long, difficult season took a toll on morale. “Jobs you normally do for five or six months suddenly stretched to ten. People were tired. Keeping a positive mindset was a challenge.”
“It was an eye-opener for them to see how difficult a year can be. It brought us closer. We supported each other, knuckled down and kept going. And now, looking at the season we’re having, you wouldn’t think we were struggling not long ago.”
Gregor said the challenges of the past year were shared across the region.
“It certainly brought the region together. There were lots of events to help people, but at the same time everyone was just so busy. YDN numbers were down because people were working huge hours. Still, those opportunities to come together matter.”
He said being involved in YDN and leadership programs has kept him motivated to keep developing his skills.
“I don’t see this as the end. It’s another step. I’d like to keep progressing, maybe towards farm ownership in the future.”
Looking back, Gregor said the Marcus Oldham program helped him overcome self-doubt and understand that leadership means learning through discomfort.
“There were moments I was nervous or questioning myself. But by the end of the week, I felt like I’d managed to push through those moments,” he said.
“If you want to lead, you have to put yourself out there. No one else can do it for you. And once you do, you realise you’re more capable than you think.”