|
 INTRODUCTION by
Kelly Kincannon
Kincannon & Reed
USA
As the
international seed executives’ answers to two important
questions posed by SeedQuest would suggest, there is
change underway in the seed trade. Globalization,
markets, traits, competitive pressure and the speed of
change, all add up to an increasingly complex and
sophisticated environment in which to do business.
To be
successful, as these executives are, demands a skill set
which, when combined with personal characteristics of
leadership, integrity, courage and drive, helps them and
their organizations achieve their strategic objectives.
The
executives who shared their insights with us for this
article pointed to essential skills in key areas that
will be familiar to SeedQuest’s audience:
-
Customer focus with a personal touch
-
Effective risk management
-
Long-term strategic thinking
-
A
sound basis and understanding of all functional
areas and their inter-relationship
-
Interpersonal and communication skills
These
executives demonstrate that success in these areas is
transferable across industries, and that indeed they can
bring fresh perspectives to the seed sector as the
evolving face of business creates new challenges. One
important fact here to realize and take to heart,
though, is that this industry is the basis for feeding
people. “First, the seed.” And the business is imbued
with the love of land and the deep history of food, the
age-old concern with weather and production, a tangible
energy that continues to motivate so many of the people
who work with seed.
These
voices of experience will spark ideas as you and your
colleagues make decisions and lead your organizations.
We thank them and SeedQuest for the opportunity to
listen to their comments.
Kelly Kincannon can be reached at
kkincannon@krsearch.net
|
