Leadership for Next Generation Supply Chains

Leadership is all about people aiming to create direction, alignment and commitment within a team. Being an effective supply chain leader is becoming increasingly challenging because a company’s supply chain has to operate in two ways simultaneously to be effective.

Mode 1

• Focus on predictability and how you manage this

• Being lean

• Efficiency and cost reduction

• Focusing on risk mitigation and prevention

Mode 2

• Focus on exploration

• Being agile

• Focus on speed

• Strategies for solving the unexpected or adapting to new technologies.

Organisations need to learn to manage both modes simultaneously” but that also requires leaders to lead differently.

But what leadership styles fit the different modes? 

In broad terms there are three styles:

1. Command and Control - works best in a defined hierarchy but works poorly for complex organisations where innovation is important.
2. Consensus - works best in small teams but works poorly when speed is important.
3. Collaborative leadership - works well for diverse groups and cross company work when innovation and creativity is important.

So adapt your leadership style for the Supply Chain mode you require to give appropriate direction, alignment and commitment.