Importance of leadership skills in the supply chain

Leadership has been one of the most researched topics in the business world for a while. If you have had any leadership training, you must know that leadership is not similar to management. You might be asking yourself if you deserve that tile as a supplier. The answer is yes. To understand how maybe you need to be reminded what a supply chain is.

A supply chain delivers a consumer product from sourcing raw materials to the finished product. If you are there manning your small warehouse, ensuring you provide a quality product to your customer, you are a supply chain leader. The job descriptions for supply chain jobs nowadays are very different from the past. The role has evolved and requires logistical knowledge and how to work with a team to improve productivity.

Customers today demand increased visibility, flexibility, risk mitigation, technological innovation, and much more from businesses. Meeting these demands has been difficult for some companies. Today, supply chain leaders and managers must adopt specific effective habits and leadership skills to ensure that they meet these demands. 

What does leadership involve?

Most people think that leadership is about being the head of a group of people or an organization, but there is more to it. Influential leadership involves creating, planning, securing resources, identifying, and improving on errors. Are you starting to see the similarities between leadership and supply chain jobs today yet?

Let's look at what makes an effective supply chain. There are three main characteristics of an excellent supply chain;

• Leadership
• Technology implementation
• Planning and network design

You must understand that a supply chain comprises people working together to achieve a business's desired goal. As much as technology is involved, you cannot deny that you still need people to act as back up or to ensure that the technology works as required.

So, who are you as a leader in the supply chain?

1. You encourage collaboration – As mentioned earlier, a supply chain is a network of people working together towards a specific goal. As a trained leader, you must understand that you are the source of your network's motivation. They are working for you because they buy into your vision for the business. There also has to be clear communication lines between the team and regular positive reinforcement from the supply chain leader. 
2. You drive innovation – As a leader, it is your job to empower your teammates. A good leader allows their team members to participate in brainstorming ideas and other important decisions related to the company. When you allow your team to have a sense of ownership, they feel valued and encouraged to push themselves further. This is how most large co-operations implement new ideas that set them apart from the rest. 

One of the most important things about leadership in the supply chain is having consistent leadership. Consistent leadership of the supply chain builds a solid foundation for an effective supply chain in business. Switching leaders can lead to sloppiness, which might result in financial losses for the company.