Managing a supply chain team is one of those things that looks straightforward on paper but gets complicated quickly in practice. You’ve got people with different skill sets, different motivations, different ways of working. Some thrive under pressure, others need space to think. Some want detailed instructions, others feel micromanaged if you check in twice a week.
I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and honestly, I’m still learning. But one thing I’ve become convinced of is that the best supply chain leaders aren’t necessarily the ones with the deepest technical knowledge. They’re the ones who understand how to get the most out of the people around them.
In this conversation, Alma Arzate shares her leadership strategies for supply chain management, drawing from over 25 years of experience across various industries.
Watch the video below to find out how she manages her team with different personalities and skills.
Why Supply Chain Teams Are Particularly Challenging to Manage
Before we get into Alma’s specific approaches, I want to touch on something that doesn’t get discussed enough: supply chain teams are genuinely difficult to lead well.
Think about what you’re dealing with. You’ve got analysts who live in spreadsheets and think in numbers. You’ve got warehouse supervisors who are practical, hands-on problem solvers. You’ve got procurement people who spend their days negotiating with suppliers. Customer service staff managing complaints. Transport coordinators juggling driver schedules and delivery windows.
These aren’t just different job functions. They’re often fundamentally different personality types, attracted to supply chain work for completely different reasons. The approach that motivates your planning team might actively demotivate your operations staff. I’ve seen managers get this wrong repeatedly, treating everyone the same and then wondering why half their team seems disengaged.
Situational Leadership for Team Success
Alma is a strong advocate for the Situational Leadership Model, a framework she uses to tailor her management approach to individual team members’ needs. By assessing each person’s readiness for new tasks, Alma ensures her team members receive the right level of support to thrive. She explains how promoting a high-potential employee requires hands-on guidance to help them adjust to a new role.
This resonates with what I’ve observed over the years. The mistake a lot of managers make is finding a leadership style that feels comfortable and then applying it universally. But what works for a confident, experienced team member will frustrate someone who’s still finding their feet. And vice versa.
I remember working with a distribution centre manager who was brilliant at developing junior staff. Patient, supportive, always available. His new hires loved him. But his senior team members felt suffocated. They didn’t need hand-holding; they needed autonomy and trust. He had to consciously dial back his involvement with experienced staff, which didn’t come naturally to him.
Building Open Communication
Alma fosters an environment of openness, where every team member feels comfortable sharing ideas. She rewards not just creativity but also the implementation of those ideas. This focus on transparent dialogue helps Alma’s teams maintain a culture of continuous improvement.
The bit about rewarding implementation, not just ideas, is worth underlining. I’ve seen plenty of suggestion schemes that generate hundreds of ideas and implement maybe three. People stop contributing pretty quickly when they realise nothing happens.
If you’re going to ask for input, you need to be prepared to act on it. Or at least explain why you can’t. Nothing kills engagement faster than feeling ignored.
Handling Poor Performance
When a team member struggles to meet expectations, Alma prefers exploring other options before making drastic decisions. She evaluates whether the person might excel in a different role or need a performance improvement plan. This approach not only retains valuable talent but also boosts overall team morale.
This is something I feel strongly about. Poor performance usually has a cause, and that cause isn’t always the individual. Sometimes it’s a skills gap that training can fix. Sometimes the person is genuinely in the wrong role. Sometimes there’s something going on outside work that’s affecting them temporarily.
A guy I worked with years ago was struggling badly in a demand planning role. Missed forecasts, poor attention to detail, seemed disengaged. His manager was ready to let him go. Turned out he was much better suited to supplier relationship management, where his people skills actually mattered. Moved him across, and he became one of the strongest performers in that team.
The point is: investigation before termination. It’s not always possible to find a solution, but it’s worth looking.
Alma’s leadership style highlights the importance of meeting people where they are, offering support tailored to each individual, and fostering an open, transparent work environment.
