In this episode of 'The Wisdom Of...' Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Pam Johnson, a sixth-generation farmer and groundbreaking agricultural leader. As the first female president of the National Corn Growers Association and a founding member of MAIZALL (International Maize Alliance), Pam has led scientific initiatives including the final mapping of the corn genome while successfully transitioning a multi-generational family enterprise. Discover her profound insights on stewardship, character-building through adversity, and the "antenna up" philosophy that guides transformational leadership.

Ready to elevate your leadership approach? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method. Learn how to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and the importance of agricultural leadership wisdom

05:18 From registered nurse to sixth-generation farmer: Pam's unique journey

12:36 The turning point: Standing up at the bankruptcy hearing

18:52 The "antenna up" philosophy: Paying attention to what the world needs

25:44 Breaking barriers as the first female National Corn Growers Association president

33:29 Leading the corn genome mapping project: Science meets agriculture

38:22 Building international alliances through MAIZALL

45:36 Succession planning: Transitioning the farm to the next generation

52:12 Resilience lessons from the 1980s farming crisis and 1998 hog market collapse

58:43 Character under pressure: The farming laboratory for leadership development

Pam Johnson is a pioneering agricultural leader whose influence extends far beyond farming. As the first female president of the National Corn Growers Association, she broke significant ground while leading groundbreaking scientific initiatives. As chair of the NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team, she collaborated with the USDA and National Science Foundation to facilitate the final mapping of the corn genome, a breakthrough that transformed agricultural science globally.

Johnson's commitment to advancing agriculture extends internationally through her role as a founding member and former president of MAIZALL, the International Maize Alliance, which unites corn grower associations from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States to address global trade barriers and promote agricultural innovation.

Before dedicating herself full-time to farming, Johnson worked as a registered nurse, bringing a unique perspective to her agricultural endeavors. Her multifaceted career and unwavering dedication to the farming community have earned her recognition as the 2024 Top Producer Women in Ag award winner.

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

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Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

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In a world where quick fixes and surface-level strategies dominate business conversations, the leaders who create lasting impact operate from deeper principles. They understand that sustainable success requires not just intelligence or strategy, but the courage to build authentically, persist through inevitable setbacks, and maintain perspective during both triumph and difficulty.

This second installment of The Wisdom Of Show's favorite moments compilation continues our exploration of the insights that refuse to leave your mind once encountered. From entrepreneurial founders who've built global brands to spiritual teachers who understand the psychology of resilience, from business transformation experts to researchers who've overturned fundamental assumptions about human potential.

These aren't theoretical concepts or motivational platitudes. These are hard-earned insights from leaders who've walked the difficult path of building something meaningful and emerged with wisdom that transforms how we think about courage, authenticity, and the mechanics of sustainable success.

Ready to transform your own insights into scalable frameworks? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method to learn how to capture and codify the kind of original thinking that drives lasting impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction: The courage required to build something lasting

02:07 Kristina Karlsson - Entrepreneurial insights on building something meaningful

08:45 Matt Purcell - Personal branding and visibility in the modern marketplace

19:47 Janine Allis - Boost Juice founder on entrepreneurial persistence and the power of "don't say no, say how"

26:10 Shi Heng Li - Buddhist wisdom on embracing life's inevitable fluctuations with equanimity

33:40 Alice Barbery - Leadership and workplace transformation insights

42:13 Ben Hamer - Future trends, technology, and human connection in a digital age

50:23 Dr. Dale Bredesen - Alzheimer's researcher on paradigm shifts, proactive approaches, and challenging assumptions

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs!

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Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact.

👉 Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

In an era where surface-level advice dominates and quick fixes promise instant results, the conversations that truly matter are those that challenge our fundamental assumptions about leadership, performance, and sustainable excellence.

In this special episode of 'The Wisdom Of' Show, host Simon Bowen curates the most profound moments from his conversations with world-class leaders who operate at the highest levels under the most challenging circumstances. From Navy SEAL commanders who understand the difference between peak and optimal performance, to tech visionaries who think in decades rather than quarters, to elite athletes who reveal the hidden psychology of preparation and execution … these aren't just interview highlights.

These are the moments of wisdom that refuse to leave your mind once you've encountered them. The insights that fundamentally shift how you approach every strategic decision, every leadership challenge, and every conversation about what it means to build something lasting in an increasingly complex world.

Discover why your reactions under pressure are determined by what you practice in comfort, how internal conversations either protect or dilute your market value, and why the strongest leaders don't seek agreement, they create environments where truth can emerge, even when it's uncomfortable.

Ready to capture and scale your own original genius? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method to learn how to transform intuitive wisdom into frameworks that drive billion-dollar impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction: Why certain moments of wisdom change everything

00:25 Charlene Li - Digital transformation strategist who redefined how we think about organizational agility

03:55 Gus McLachlan - Elite performance coach revealing the hidden psychology of sustainable excellence

08:52 Liz Ellis - Legendary athlete on the preparation principles that separate champions from competitors

13:40 Alicia Ferguson - Visionary leader on building cultures that transcend individual performance

19:41 Rich Diviney - Former Navy SEAL commander on optimal performance and attribute-based leadership

29:44 Ed Catmull - Pixar co-founder on error-correcting mechanisms and creative leadership

41:28 Brett King - Futurist on AI, economic transformation, and the meaning economy

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs!

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Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact.

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