PORTLAND, OR - For Roberta Anderson, President of GLOBALG.A.P. North America (GGNA), the world of agriculture has long been in her blood. Her depth of knowledge includes topics such as sustainability, but it’s her take on women in leadership that initially had me reaching out to chat.

“Leadership was modeled to me through my father’s deep work ethic, courage, and integrity as a farmer and active community leader. I was also fortunate to have terrific bosses throughout my career, and learned leadership by watching and listening to each of their various styles and strengths,” Roberta tells me. “However, just as important as my previous bosses, my employees help me to be a leader each day. They teach me that leadership needs to be flexible as different people need different kinds of guidance to help them achieve their best.”

As Roberta explains, a personal commitment to continuous improvement is just as important to leaders as it is to those they lead. It’s about having the humility to recognize errors and the determination to get it right the next time.

Roberta has practical expertise on the matter of being a female leader, as she has advanced at GGNA from program management to Vice President to President over the last 10 years. As the lead of this North America subsidiary of the global farm certification leader of the GLOBALG.A.P. standards, she is driving change in its approach to supporting American and Canadian stakeholders from farm to retail.

One of the questions I have for Roberta is how she has navigated the produce industry—traditionally still a male sector—and the ways in which she sees her leadership style as an asset.

“While empathy is often regarded as a feminine trait, it is gaining more traction as a powerful leadership skill in today’s work environments. Working to put yourself in someone else's shoes through active listening and authentic engagement will build more productive and innovative teams and enable you to better serve your customers,” she asserts.

Roberta also stresses the importance of leading with integrity and how that generates more meaningful and fruitful partnerships.

“Through seeking common ground with others, you can resist a negative narrative of the urban-rural divide. Women leaders play an important role in bridging divides due to qualities often inherent in women leaders—like inclusiveness, resilience, positive thinking, and fostering a collaborative approach,” Roberta concludes.

For more insights from members of the produce industry, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.