Syngenta Leader’s Perspective: Stacy Woodruff, Global Head of Vegetable Seeds Production Operations 

Discovering Potential: Empowered Employees Empower Company Success

One leader changed the trajectory of my career by taking an interest in me and my potential. Ten years ago, he realized that my passion was working with people and pushed me into new opportunities.

Today, that passion remains and as I’ve moved into new roles, the responsibility of helping others see their potential is energizing. Leading people, understanding how to help them recognize their strengths, and helping them find success is where I find joy.

When you work with many people, motivating and encouraging each of them is often challenging. It starts with hiring the right people, of course, but it also means having unified goals that carry throughout the company and are known and believed by each contributor.

I won’t say it’s easy, but I’ve found working in agriculture that it’s impactful for our employees to see their role in the food system. The fruits and vegetables they eat are ultimately impacted by the support they provide growers.

Understanding the food chain isn’t enough though. I’ve always felt the greatest way to impact someone’s understanding of their role is to show them the customer. In our case, it’s farm visits, processor visits, and sharing where our seed goes and how it helps promote our customers’ success. We help our employees connect the dots by visiting farms to hear grower stories at each of our major production hubs around the world.

In many cases, employees are shocked and impressed to see the complexity of our customers’ businesses, professionalism, and their processes. I’m always energized myself, and our employees feel the same.

That energy and renewed dedication help each person stay committed to their role in a safe, secure, and high-quality seed system. It takes continuous work and hiring the right managers and supervisors, but I’m proud of our shared vision in creating grower success.

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