Daryl E. Horton

Daryl Horton is a leadership strategist, executive coach, speaker, and founder of EQfluence Group, an organization dedicated to leadership formation from the inside out. His leadership journey began at Pepsi-Cola, but his philosophy was forged across more than three decades in food and beverage, manufacturing, and multiplant operations. He held senior leadership roles at Conagra, Ardent Mills, Tyson Foods, Niagara Bottling, and Randall Foods, where he ultimately served as chief operating officer. Leading in complex, high-pressure environments shaped his conviction that sustainable leadership begins internally. Daryl’s approach to leadership was not forged in theory, but in real places: on plant floors, in conference rooms, across failing lines, inside turnarounds, and in seasons of both professional pressure and profound personal reflection. These experiences shaped the foundation of The Six Disciplines of EQfluence™, a proprietary leadership-formation framework integrating Inner Clarity, Inner Governance, Intention, Identity, Discernment, and Relational Stewardship into a practical system leaders can apply at every level. At the center of Daryl’s philosophy lies a belief both simple and transformational: Leadership begins within. Daryl lives in Southern California with his family. When he’s not coaching leaders, writing, or developing programs built around the Six Disciplines of EQfluence, he can be found spending time with his wife and daughter, tending his smoker, cycling, playing his guitar, or serving within his local church community, the places where clarity continues to rise and purpose continues to unfold.