6 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2018 DO A GOOGLE search for books on leadership, and you’ll be given more than 20 million results. Leaders are who people look to for answers. Leaders drive companies toward goals. Leaders inspire others and help them grow. There are many things a leader does, but becoming one is not easy — that’s why there are courses available to improve leadership skills and degree pro- grams were created, to help people become good leaders. Instead of turning to the books, we turned to real leaders in the industry. Not only have they been responsible for helping to lead multimillion dollar companies, but they have also been charged with helping lead the American Seed Trade Association. For you, what does it mean to lead? JF: Setting vision, strategic direction and connecting with people to articulate expectations, listen to insights from others, and continuous learning. CN: To direct a team in a direction to accomplish a specific goal or goals. This includes gaining support by including the team in creating the strategy and the plan to accomplish those goals. I believe that a good leader leads by example and often is the spiritual leader who sets the tone for the team. JS: Leaders help ensure the organization identifies competitive goals, helps attract the right people to meet those goals and ensures folks have the resources available to make it happen. What is your guiding philosophy? JF: Understand who you are as a leader, the principles you stand for, and be the leader your team or organization needs. MEET THE LEADERS Jerry Flint (JF) serves as the global initiatives and sustainability leader for Corteva Agriscience, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. Previously, he served as vice president of regula- tory affairs for DuPont for eight years. Flint also serves as the first vice president of the American Seed Trade Association and is set to serve as president for 2018- 19. Additionally, he chaired the Food and Agriculture Section Governing Board for Biotechnology Industry Organization, better known as BIO. Craig Newman (CN), after retiring from a 30-plus year career in the seed industry, serves as a consultant with Finding Black Ink. He is the former president and CEO of AgReliant Genetics. Newman chaired ASTA’s Board of Directors in 2013-14. John Schoenecker (JS) is the director of intellec- tual property for HM.Clause. He chaired ASTA’s Board of Directors in 2014-15. He has also served at the international level, representing ASTA on the board of the International Seed Federation’s Vegetable & Ornamental Section. Schoenecker also co-led the ASTA and BIO joint working groups on patent expiration at the beginning of the decade. Taking on more responsibility and moving into a management role can bring new challenges. We asked three national leaders in the industry to share their philosophy and lessons learned when it comes to leadership. Julie Deering jdeering@issuesink.com LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP