Art van Bodegraven was, among other roles, chief design officer for the DES Leadership Academy. He passed away on June 18, 2017. He will be greatly missed.
So much really good and insightful material has been published about the essence of genuine leadership that we're left shaking our heads whenever we encounter leaders who obviously just chewed the books' covers when they should have been reading and taking notes.
People generally think about the subject of leadership as a corporate-level concern—and it is. But it's also highly relevant to how we do our jobs in the world of supply chain management. The basics are the basics, whether applied to the entire organization or to an important component part.
"Master and Commander"
Brilliant as Russell Crowe was in the 2003 film, it was set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The leadership model has changed somewhat since, we sincerely hope. Further, what was required to keep order among a crew of illiterates is of a different order than what is needed to run flexible and creative business organizations, whether they're engaged in supply chain management, social media strategizing, or something else.
Even in the ultimate command and control organizations, the armed forces, modern leadership qualities are being increasingly and eagerly embraced. And the failure of commanders to lead has had some serious consequences in the past few decades.
Consider the level of enthusiasm and commitment troops might muster in the case of an officer who assured them that he'd rather be with them storming the beaches but that duty required him to stay behind versus the general who actually got his pants wet wading ashore. Then, contemplate the number of young junior officers who were killed or wounded in Vietnam by grenades thrown from behind.
But enlightened views of leadership in the military are hardly a brand new phenomenon. George Patton, the irascible World War II general, once said, "Don't tell people how to do things. Tell them what needs to be done, and let them surprise you with their results."
Regrettably, some in business positions that would, at minimum, imply leadership and at most, demand it are still looking to the fear and intimidation model they wrongly attribute to command and control systems.
Leadership failures vs. leadership successes
So what makes a great leader? One-time "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani (whatever you might think of his politics) outlined some of the necessary attributes: an ability to communicate, vision, empathy, self control, coaching skill, positive attitude, and integrity.
A core understanding of this model is that six out of seven is not enough and five out of seven is a formula for either failure or catastrophe, or both. On the other hand, being loved is not one of the core attributes. According to some reports, people at Apple would follow Steve Jobs into a fiery pit but not like him in any way as a human being.
We might suggest a few additions to Giuliani's list. They include the ability to think strategically, a propensity to seek change, and a balance between intuitive and analytic perspectives.
Not all of those who are placed in leadership positions are genuine leaders, of course. Some are pretenders and poseurs. It usually doesn't take long for the true picture to emerge. Leaders are confident and secure, while the secretly frightened and insecure display some tell-tale signs:
They are incapable of celebrating the successes of others—of other leaders or of the people working for them;
They give more than they take (and often want personal credit and recognition for what they have taken from others);
They micromanage to ensure there is no deviation from "their way" (killing any real hope for creativity in the process); and
They hide information that would be useful to others (believing that knowledge is power, and that power cannot be shared to mutual benefit).
As they become increasingly consumed by the need to maintain "control," a number of bad things happen:
They begin to view people as things to be manipulated—and the manipulated people will quickly pick up on it;
Their effectiveness (i.e., their ability to coerce for results) diminishes the second they leave the room—and the people can't wait for them to do so; and
Their tactics result in unthinking followers who keep their heads down.
This last consequence represents nothing less than an enormous waste of human potential. Gen. Patton's relevant observation was, "If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
The ultimate differentiator
Once we get past all the lists of leadership attributes, a vital component remains: authenticity. Genuineness. What you see is what you get. This fundamental quality can't be faked. And it can't be easily taught.
It results in leaders who won't ask followers to do anything they wouldn't undertake themselves. Patton again: "Always do everything you ask of those you command."
Occasionally, a genuine leader hires a controlling second-in-command, who winds up doing the dirty work the empathetic leader won't do. Usually, these situations get rectified quickly. If not, it may be a sign that the ultimate leader wants to maintain the appearance of authenticity and is using a hit man to carry out his or her secret wishes. Ultimately, people see through the appearance, and the "leader" loses credibility.
The authentic leader
The authentic leader does embody the attributes on Giuliani's list, not as poses, but as actualities.
That genuine leader recognizes his or her strengths—and weaknesses—and builds a leadership team to fill in the gaps.
The leader challenges the status quo, even one of his or her own creation.
A real leader already knows that not everyone thinks and acts alike, and he or she actively looks for ways to create a team with diverse styles and perspectives. Not for the sake of diversity, but for the sake of leveraging comprehensive strengths for complete solutions.
The leader deals with the big picture, the complexities of all facets of an enterprise, the variety of alternatives for the future, simultaneously.
The true leader models doing the right things in the right way.
The ultimate leader never stops working on getting better.
States across the Southeast woke up today to find that the immediate weather impacts from Hurricane Helene are done, but the impacts to people, businesses, and the supply chain continue to be a major headache, according to Everstream Analytics.
The primary problem is the collection of massive power outages caused by the storm’s punishing winds and rainfall, now affecting some 2 million customers across the Southeast region of the U.S.
One organization working to rush help to affected regions since the storm hit Florida’s western coast on Thursday night is the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). As it does after most serious storms, the group continues to marshal donated resources from supply chain service providers in order to store, stage, and deliver help where it’s needed.
Support for recovery efforts is coming from a massive injection of federal aid, since the White House declared states of emergency last week for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Affected states are also supporting the rush of materials to needed zones by suspending transportation requirement such as certain licensing agreements, fuel taxes, weight restrictions, and hours of service caps, ALAN said.
E-commerce activity remains robust, but a growing number of consumers are reintegrating physical stores into their shopping journeys in 2024, emphasizing the need for retailers to focus on omnichannel business strategies. That’s according to an e-commerce study from Ryder System, Inc., released this week.
Ryder surveyed more than 1,300 consumers for its 2024 E-Commerce Consumer Study and found that 61% of consumers shop in-store “because they enjoy the experience,” a 21% increase compared to results from Ryder’s 2023 survey on the same subject. The current survey also found that 35% shop in-store because they don’t want to wait for online orders in the mail (up 4% from last year), and 15% say they shop in-store to avoid package theft (up 8% from last year).
“Retail and e-commerce continue to evolve,” Jeff Wolpov, Ryder’s senior vice president of e-commerce, said in a statement announcing the survey’s findings. “The emergence of e-commerce and growth of omnichannel fulfillment, particularly over the past four years, has altered consumer expectations and behavior dramatically and will continue to do so as time and technology allow.
“This latest study demonstrates that, while consumers maintain a robust
appetite for e-commerce, they are simultaneously embracing in-person shopping, presenting an impetus for merchants to refine their omnichannel strategies.”
Other findings include:
• Apparel and cosmetics shoppers show growing attraction to buying in-store. When purchasing apparel and cosmetics, shoppers are more inclined to make purchases in a physical location than they were last year, according to Ryder. Forty-one percent of shoppers who buy cosmetics said they prefer to do so either in a brand’s physical retail location or a department/convenience store (+9%). As for apparel shoppers, 54% said they prefer to buy clothing in those same brick-and-mortar locations (+9%).
• More customers prefer returning online purchases in physical stores. Fifty-five percent of shoppers (+15%) now say they would rather return online purchases in-store–the first time since early 2020 the preference to Buy Online Return In-Store (BORIS) has outweighed returning via mail, according to the survey. Forty percent of shoppers said they often make additional purchases when picking up or returning online purchases in-store (+2%).
• Consumers are extremely reliant on mobile devices when shopping in-store. This year’s survey reveals that 77% of consumers search for items on their mobile devices while in a store, Ryder said. Sixty-nine percent said they compare prices with items in nearby stores, 58% check availability at other stores, 31% want to learn more about a product, and 17% want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering.
Ryder said the findings also underscore the importance of investing in technology solutions that allow companies to provide customers with flexible purchasing options.
“Omnichannel strength is not a fad; it is a strategic necessity for e-commerce and retail businesses to stay competitive and achieve sustainable success in 2024 and beyond,” Wolpov also said. “The findings from this year’s study underscore what we know our customers are experiencing, which is the positive impact of integrating supply chain technology solutions across their sales channels, enabling them to provide their customers with flexible, convenient options to personalize their experience and heighten customer satisfaction.”
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
As the hours tick down toward a “seemingly imminent” strike by East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers, experts are warning that the impacts of that move would mushroom well-beyond the actual strike locations, causing prevalent shipping delays, container ship congestion, port congestion on West coast ports, and stranded freight.
However, a strike now seems “nearly unavoidable,” as no bargaining sessions are scheduled prior to the September 30 contract expiration between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) in their negotiations over wages and automation, according to the transportation law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary.
The facilities affected would include some 45,000 port workers at 36 locations, including high-volume U.S. ports from Boston, New York / New Jersey, and Norfolk, to Savannah and Charleston, and down to New Orleans and Houston. With such widespread geography, a strike would likely lead to congestion from diverted traffic, as well as knock-on effects include the potential risk of increased freight rates and costly charges such as demurrage, detention, per diem, and dwell time fees on containers that may be slowed due to the congestion, according to an analysis by another transportation and logistics sector law firm, Benesch.
The weight of those combined blows means that many companies are already planning ways to minimize damage and recover quickly from the event. According to Scopelitis’ advice, mitigation measures could include: preparing for congestion on West coast ports, taking advantage of intermodal ground transportation where possible, looking for alternatives including air transport when necessary for urgent delivery, delaying shipping from East and Gulf coast ports until after the strike, and budgeting for increased freight and container fees.
Additional advice on softening the blow of a potential coastwide strike came from John Donigian, senior director of supply chain strategy at Moody’s. In a statement, he named six supply chain strategies for companies to consider: expedite certain shipments, reallocate existing inventory strategically, lock in alternative capacity with trucking and rail providers , communicate transparently with stakeholders to set realistic expectations for delivery timelines, shift sourcing to regional suppliers if possible, and utilize drop shipping to maintain sales.
National nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) kicked off its 2024 season this week with a call for volunteers. The group, which honors U.S. military veterans through a range of civic outreach programs, is seeking trucking companies and professional drivers to help deliver wreaths to cemeteries across the country for its annual wreath-laying ceremony, December 14.
“Wreaths Across America relies on the transportation industry to move the mission. The Honor Fleet, composed of dedicated carriers, professional drivers, and other transportation partners, guarantees the delivery of millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to their destination each year,” Courtney George, WAA’s director of trucking and industry relations, said in a statement Tuesday. “Transportation partners benefit from driver retention and recruitment, employee engagement, positive brand exposure, and the opportunity to give back to their community’s veterans and military families.”
WAA delivers wreaths to more than 4,500 locations nationwide, and as of this week had added more than 20 loads to be delivered this season. The wreaths are donated by sponsors from across the country, delivered by truckers, and laid at the graves of veterans by WAA volunteers.
Wreaths Across America
Transportation companies interested in joining the Honor Fleet can visit the WAA website to find an open lane or contact the WAA transportation team at trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.