After over two-and-a-half years of unprecedented disruption and volatility, supply chains were stretched close to breaking point. Traditional and historic processes proved insufficient, and cracks in the critical armour of supply chain resilience are showing. More importantly, one of the biggest lessons was that the old top-down leadership style is no longer as effective as it once was.
As a result, new leadership styles are emerging that emphasise the importance of teamwork and open communication. These styles are often more successful than traditional methods as they allow for a greater exchange of ideas and a better understanding of each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, collaborative leadership styles tend to create a more positive work environment, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.
Similarly, the traditional understanding and managerial acronym VUCA – volatile, uncertain, chaotic and ambiguous – is also evolving. More recently, a positive acronym has emerged to represent a positive side of VUCA or VUCA 2.0 – vision, understanding, clarity and agility. VUCA will continue to define the coming years, but it will be the responsibility and opportunity of leaders to shift the negative VUCA to a positive VUCA 2.0. Our predictions and trends of supply chain leadership, combined with the latest research and insights, are discussed below.
Vision → less hierarchy, more engagement
Kenneth Blanchard, a leadership and business expert, lamented: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”. We expect that in 2023 the role of supply chain leaders will continue to evolve and be less about ‘calling the shots’ and more about fostering inclusiveness in decision-making, offering autonomy and bottom-up innovation and collaboration. As businesses begin to recognise the importance of engagement, we can expect to see more effort to foster these skills in the workplace.
Understanding → focus on business culture and soft skills
In the changing world of work, high-performing businesses must employ top personnel and invest in hard and soft skills to provide outstanding performance. You can be the most knowledgeable person at the table but have the least emotional intelligence, which can only get you so far in today's society. Assuming the patterns are accurate, future success will be achieved through cooperation and co-creation by bringing together diverse teams. The capacity to connect on a human level and build meaningful relationships will be paramount, regardless of your position within a business. Employing self-aware, emotionally intelligent team players will be a recurring topic as firms bring new talent and promote existing talent inside their companies.
Clarity → Hybrid and remote work model maturity
For some businesses, the post-pandemic ‘normal’ and the transition to remote and establishing hybrid work modes are still in development. In 2023, this will remain a significant priority for companies to formalise. Some businesses are still adjusting to their new work settings, and leaders are learning to foster engagement and collaboration in this unique setting. That is one significant benefit stemming from the pandemic. As a global collective, we proved that working from home was possible and, increasingly, more employees seek flexibility. In combination with valuing work-life balance, businesses willing to offer this flexibility will reap the benefits of engagement, productivity, and bottom-line results.
Agility → adoption of technology and growth mindset in management
Technology adoption and use in management practices is a significant trend that will likely continue in 2023 as businesses strive to remain competitive globally. To remain viable in the future, companies must be agile enough to adapt to external requirements and flexible enough to respond to a changing environment. Agility needs to reflect the company structures and processes – at the same time, it also constitutes a leadership quality that is evident when managers demonstrate a growth mindset.
These are just some of the major workplace trends we expect to see in 2023. As businesses strive to create a more emotionally intelligent and inclusive work environment, they must focus on employee retention and satisfaction. Leaders will need to adopt new communication and collaboration styles to be successful and technology will play an even more significant role in management practices. Moving our mindsets from negative to positive can be the biggest challenge for leaders.
However, with every challenge, there is also opportunity. What are your priorities as a leader for 2023? What are you willing to start doing, stop doing and continue doing because it adds value to those around you? Today’s and tomorrow’s leaders are expected to exert influence that goes far beyond being an expert in their profession. Perhaps it is time to pause and be thoughtful and purposeful about what you will focus on that will contribute to the collective success of your team and business. •
