However, among that uncertainty there’s one thing we can count on — the future belongs to those willing to build it.

Author and management consultant Peter Drucker famously said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” 

This past July in Louisville, Ky., I got a front-row seat to the National Junior Angus Show, an exceptional representation of young Angus breeders across the country building the future they desire. 

While much of the world wonders what tomorrow will bring, these National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members are already taking steps to shape it.

For seven days I saw them embracing hard work in those early mornings and late nights caring for their cattle. I saw them developing skills to solve problems, communicate and collaborate through contests. I saw them serving others, joyfully supporting the Angus Impact project raising funds for cancer research. I saw them develop a community as they cheer each other on regardless of the fierce competition. 

The leaders we need

Beyond the show ring, NJAA members are gaining experiences that will serve them a lifetime. They are learning and demonstrating responsibility and resilience, becoming stewards of their operations and leaders in their schools and communities. 

In many ways, they represent exactly the kind of people our industry and our world need at this moment. This issue of the Angus Journal, “Built for Tomorrow,” highlights these young Angus breeders.

Every generation faces its own challenges. The next generation of Angus leaders will navigate changing markets, emerging technologies, evolving consumer demands and economic conditions we cannot yet predict. They will certainly face obstacles and have opportunities. But after spending time with these junior members, I am confident of one thing: they are not waiting to see what the future holds. They are creating it.