Lessons from When Strategy Wasn’t the Problem—Integrity Was

I returned to corporate life, reporting directly to the Group CEO of the largest food manufacturing and distribution company in the Caribbean—a diversified group with a major foods division, a finance arm, a chain of supermarkets and global operations spanning Africa, the United States, Canada, and Europe. My role was classified as Business Development Executive, and in theory, I worked on strategic projects for the group CEO.

Before joining, I “ensured” that we were aligned on something important. I was clear that I no longer wanted to be in marketing. I wanted to focus on strategy development and operations. The CEO agreed. The understanding was that I would rotate across business units to determine where I could add the most value and which division I might ultimately lead.

Based on our conversations, I expected this role would be about exposure to enterprise-level decision-making, strategic problem-solving across divisions and building a pathway into operational leadership. I thought alignment at that level meant follow-through.

Before I officially started, the Group CEO and the CEO of the Foods division, asked if I could develop the strategy and run the food service and wines division for three months. I expressed that it was not my ideal role because I had functioned in a similar capacity previously  but I agreed. The strategy was delivered. And then… nothing.

Six months passed, then nine. No approvals. No budget. No authority to move the business forward because of all the layers of approval needed, CEO, Groupe CEO, Board… I had never felt so powerless in a role.

What this role taught me—clearly—is that strategy without empowerment is theatre.

I raised my concerns directly with the Group CEO, outlining three issues:

1. I was operating in a role I had explicitly stated I did not want

2. I was being held accountable without the authority, approvals, or resources to lead

3. The compensation package promised for the new fiscal year was not honored

That season taught me a hard but necessary truth, Integrity isn’t what leaders say, it’s what they DO. This role strengthened executive self-leadership in critical ways:

• Expectation management – naming misalignment early and clearly

• Boundary enforcement – refusing to normalize broken agreements

• Strategic patience – knowing when to wait and when waiting becomes costly

• Values-based exit – choosing alignment over access

• 
  

I learned - again—that everything must be in writing, and that trust without accountability is fragile.

This experience shapes how I now coach executives to document agreements, not assume them. I teach leaders to distinguish opportunity from distraction, help high-capacity women honor their stated boundaries and emphasize that leaving is sometimes the most strategic decision.

Once again, I didn’t lose passion for the work, I lost respect for leadership behavior. And that is always my cue to leave.

Where are you being asked to stay committed to an agreement that others are no longer honoring?