Patricia Stroup, Chief Operating Officer of Horizon Organic and former Chief Procurement Officer at Nestlé SA, said at Expana’s Women in Food and Agriculture (WFA) conference in Chicago today that effective leadership hinges on influence, personal branding and stakeholder diplomacy, not rank or authority alone. Stroup outlined a framework that can help advance through a mix of practical tactics and relationship-building within the workplace.
Stroup told attendees she begins with a straightforward question to her teams: “What do you want?” She said the answer sets the direction for developing influencing skills, which she described as “key to successful leadership not authority or rank.” She added that influence enables people to “make things happen,” a capability she sees as essential for career progression.
In her view, knowing one’s stakeholders and using diplomacy to advance influence. “Know your stakeholders first and then use diplomacy to advance your influence. Make that connection before something goes wrong. They need to know that you are credible and that they can trust you.” She argued that aligning with stakeholders creates allies whose support can help navigate corporate dynamics.
Stroup emphasized personal branding as a crucial: “You need to build your own personal brand, to influence how people see you,” adding that crafting a positive, authentic tagline. She warned that even high-performing individuals can derail if a negative or unclear brand takes hold.
“Work on diplomacy and trying to get what you want without appearing to have imposed anything at all.” She noted that balancing stakeholder interests often outweighs pure technical prowess.
Stroup also advocated delegates to build their diplomacy. And in her view, one needs to work on corporate politics. “You’re all doing it already,” she said. Stroup highlighted informal governance as a practical reality, where those who understand the network of relationships and coalitions are best positioned to secure resources, decisions and opportunities. She urged professionals to map blockers and allies, to anticipate objections, and to apply strategic thinking to both personal aspirations and business objectives.
