LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY
You’ ve led supply networks through significant global disruptions. What did those experiences teach you about keeping teams focused and resilient? When I navigated through the pandemic period, the intensity during those three years taught me that global disruptions are going to be the norm. The frequency and intensity will only increase. The most important part I have learnt is that as difficult as each disruption seems, there is always a solution. As a leader, I need to keep the teams calm, have clear communication with the stakeholders and leave no stone unturned to find short-term solutions to relieve the disruption. The consistent and constant risk simulation is also important. We have seen a constant stream of global disruptions over the past six years. While they take different forms – from geopolitical conflicts and waterway blockages to tariffs, export restrictions and inflationary pressures – the underlying pattern repeats. Knowing the types of disruptions and linking them closely to risk assessment and mitigation has to be a day-to-day activity for leaders. This way, when the next disruption hits the newspaper headlines, you can pull out the mitigation plan straight away, take a breath and work through it with the teams.
What advice would you give to leaders who want to evolve into shaping business strategy and delivering impact at a senior level? The world is more real now than when I started my career almost 25 years ago. Disruptions are happening everywhere and every day. Leaders need to be able to adapt and be on the ground to solve issues every day. Gone are the days of leadership that remains at a high level; in today’ s environment, leaders who do not get close to the work risk being absent when it matters most. Having a vision and empowering the teams is not enough to steer through the turbulence we all face. To stay status quo is to go backwards. Leaders who deliver impact and leave a legacy in these turbulent times are the ones who have vision and can also execute. I often use the phrase“ zoom in and zoom out”; the principle of leadership where you can be 20,000ft one minute and the next, be 10ft underground trying to understand how a team can solve a problem. And then, back to 20,000ft to ensure the solution would align with the strategy. It’ s not easy to be a good leader right now – the courage needed to make tough decisions, whilst staying curious to learn and absorb, is a fine balance for leaders to strike. Hence, to be a good leader is also to have the physical and mental fitness to take on the challenges with a smile every day. businesschief. com 89