The farming industry needs inspirational characters to face the changes ahead says David Horton-Fawkes, chief executive of farmer-owned buying group AF Group.

I welcome the challenge of change and transformation in business.

Change is tough but change is also exhilarating and necessary. We all have a favourite saying in business. I have two: “Be the change you want to see” (Mahatma Gandhi) and “For everything to stay the same, everything must change” (from The Leopard by Tomas di Lampedusa).

I want to find ways of working more productively and I try to surround myself with people who are interested in doing things better.

As leaders, the days of ‘Command and Control’ management are over. Our job is to set out a clear vision, articulate a unifying sense of purpose and then build effective teams of people and let them get on with their work. We need to attract and keep the brightest and the best.

Last week, I met Professor Andrew Fearne from the University of East Anglia to consider the opportunities facing our farmers’ and our cooperative.

I quickly realised he had understood almost as much about our business in 45 minutes as it has taken me 12 months to absorb. I can see the benefits of working with Professor Fearne.

UK farmers are facing the biggest changes to their world for 50 years. Brexit has cut off the supply of farm subsidies and the "net zero" imperative is forcing growers to reduce their inputs.

At the same time, public attitudes towards food and nature are changing with bewildering speed.

At the height of the pandemic, farmers were mostly unaffected by a lockdown but just as our society emerged from isolation, farmers began to experience eye-watering inflation in the cost of their most basic business needs.

Our future success will largely depend on our ability to develop teams of capable and committed people to respond to the changes in our world.

I have come across some exceptional teambuilders, but I can confidently say that I have never worked with anyone better than Alan Miller. I first employed Alan as a golf buggy driver at Holkham in north Norfolk, taking visitors up and down the drive from the car park.

He was immaculately presented and upbeat and he was soon promoted to managing one of the busiest businesses on the estate, the Beach Café.

Eastern Daily Press: Former Arsenal goalkeeper Alan Miller, who went on to work at the Holkham estate, died earlier this year at the age of 51Former Arsenal goalkeeper Alan Miller, who went on to work at the Holkham estate, died earlier this year at the age of 51 (Image: © ARCHANT NORFOLK 2015)

Alan knew he was being watched by his team every day and he always led by example.

Every member of his team looked out for each other, and they soon broke every commercial record in the business.

It was then that I found out that Alan’s team-building skills had been learned at Arsenal where he been a goalkeeper for 17 years before playing for West Brom and Middlesbrough. Alan once took me to the directors’ box at Highbury to watch Arsenal play Norwich and we were treated like royalty.

But Alan was humble and kind. He was also fun and creative. Alan took time to listen and make every member of his team feel special. Everyone was recognised and everyone was praised.

I never saw Alan publicly criticise a member of his team, but he liked winning and he hated losing.

When I realised he had been a professional sportsman, I immediately made Alan coach of the cricket team. It wasn’t his natural game, but we never lost a match under his leadership.

He was constantly coaching and cajoling his players and he simply refused to be second best at anything.

Alan died suddenly at work last summer. I miss him deeply, but I take inspiration from his example every day.

Change is here and change is necessary, but I believe in farming - as in all aspects of life - we need to work with those who will help us “Be the change we want to see”.