Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

A few months ago, I mentioned that the title of Lee Iacocca’s latest book came to mind as I was reviewing an email that I received from a LinkedIn group that I had joined.

The original discussion thread began almost 8 months ago with the following announcement:

“Looking to join or start a strategic procurement Council. Primarily around IT services. Can you recommend or express an interest in participating. I’d like to either get involved with or start a Council on this subject.”

In March, when I first reported this subject, about 130 potential participants had expressed interest - with no action. As of last week, the list of interested participants passed 200. I have scanned quite a few of them, and the message is the same: most of those who offered comments are interested in participating, as long as someone else takes a leadership role.

After 8 months of interests being cataloged, one would think that a critical mass of interest has been confirmed. And it has. What appears to be missing is the “leadership spark” that is needed to get the ball rolling.

The LinkedIn anecdote is a small example of a bigger challenge and opportunity: building a leadership culture throughout your supply management organization and your company. In fact, the presence of a leadership culture - and a bias toward action and results - at ALL levels of an organization is one of the main determinants of an organization’s success. It can be the difference between your organization being wildly successful, or becoming a “follower” or even “roadkill.”

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Robert A. Rudzki is a former Fortune 500 Senior Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer, who is now President of Greybeard Advisors LLC, a leading provider of advisory services for procurement transformation, strategic sourcing, and supply chain management. Bob is also the author of several leading business books including the supply management best-seller “Straight to the Bottom Line®”, and the leadership book “Beat the Odds: Avoid Corporate Death & Build a Resilient Enterprise.” You can reach him directly at: rudzki@GreybeardAdvisors.com

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