GOODQUESTION Readers Weigh In
What’s One Underrated Leadership Skill in Logistics and Supply Chain Management?
CONSTRAINT AWARENESS. Constant market shifts demand prioritization and creative workarounds. Effective leaders target the biggest bottlenecks rather than perfecting every link. By partnering with teams to identify root causes, they resolve issues faster and keep operations moving forward. –Davey Miller Chief Operating Officer, CMC LEADING THROUGH AMBIGUITY. In fast-moving operations, plans break. The strongest leaders stay decisive with imperfect data, adapt in real time, and keep teams aligned under pressure. It’s what keeps throughput high, costs controlled, and service levels intact.
Staying Calm
The ability to remain calm during chaos is paramount. In supply chain, disruption is the only constant. A leader who stays composed can gather info, listen to their team, and provide decisive direction. People follow those who are steady under pressure. It’s the ultimate tool for de-escalating conflict and ensuring operational continuity. –Kshitiz Saini Commodity Manager, American Airlines Being low key. There are plenty of reasons for drama among the pressures, changes, and failures of supply chain management. Working diligently ahead means staying level and focused to push ahead toward the solution, and on to the next issue at hand. –Danny Schnautz President, Clark Freight Lines Absorbing chaos without spreading panic. Making decisions with incomplete information. Communicating the “why” clearly across teams. These skills keep a company moving forward—and in logistics and supply chain, every day demands them. –Philip Carpenito CADDi Strategic Advisor
–James Terry Head of Revenue, Indeed Flex
DRIVING BEHAVIORAL CHANGE. Leaders who can drive behavioral change at scale will separate themselves from those who just invest in the right tools. Technology only improves supply chains when people trust it, adopt it, and adapt decisions and workflows. –Ilan Gluck Head of Go-to-Market, North America, Digital Matter OPERATIONAL EMPATHY. Great leaders understand every operational decision impacts people across the supply chain. They build stronger communication, resilient teams, and lasting trust because they understand the realities behind the operation, not just the metrics that drive it. –Lorena Camargo President, Customized Logistics & Delivery Association (CLDA)
RECONCILING CONFLICTING INCENTIVES. Supply chain leaders are often described as collaborators, but the real skill isn’t collaboration itself. It’s the ability to reconcile conflicting incentives across the business and turn them into operational decisions. The best leaders make tradeoffs explicit and align stakeholders around what won’t be prioritized. –Jacob Lee ACCOUNTABILITY. Strong leaders build cultures where teams take ownership, deliver on commitments, measure performance honestly, and challenge themselves SEO Content Editor, R+L Global Logistics
beyond safe metrics. If you’re hitting 100% of targets 100% of the time, the bar may be too low. Real progress comes from holding each other to higher standards. –Beth Hendriks Chief Technology Officer, Infios OPERATING WITHOUT A SET BLUEPRINT. The environment is too dynamic, and employee processes change too much to set anything in stone. Strong leaders who make thoughtful decisions in ambiguity, adjust quickly, and create reciprocal clarity with their teams create resilient and productive processes and environments. –Anna Falcon VP, Customer Experience Transformation, MCA Connect
6 Inbound Logistics • June 2026
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