60 seconds with... Stephanie Wright, Agora Leadership

We had the pleasure of chatting to Stephanie Wright, Founder & Chief Transformation Officer at Agora Leadership about changes in the chemical supply chain industry and the top strategic directions that the industry should consider to thrive in a future environment.

How has COVID-19 changed the chemical supply chain industry and teams?

I believe it has heightened the awareness of the importance of the organization in the overall environment. This is a good thing. It has shined the spotlight on people that have been potentially undervalued in the past. Supply Chain teams have always worked with an extreme amount of focus and resilience, it is part of the job, and even part of the passion . Now I believe that this determination is being more and more understood and valued. It has also pushed our creative limits and opened up the chance to take action more quickly by trying new ways without the bureaucracy that came in the past.

Do you consider those changes fundamental, or do they have short-term impact?

They are for certain fundamental and will only build on the expertise and experience of the Supply Chain teams. Once you go through chaos, you learn, you grow, you take that into the next situation, and with the right mindset you can use the experience to develop into stronger teams. The short term impact right now is the high amount of stress of the system and most importantly, the people. The entire environment (the company culture, stakeholders, organization) must think differently and not expect Supply Chain teams to be those of the past, prior to COVID. We need to be agile, sustainable and mindful with our people to ensure positive progress.

What are the top 3 strategic directions chemical supply chains should consider to thrive in a future environment?

1) Digital Strategy and Human Strategy must go hand in hand. 2) Invest in the people. Leaders need to ensure our teams are trained on HOW to think, not just what to think. Problem Solving, Creative Mindset, Self Management – these are critical build blocks of the strategy to build teams that create solutions. 3) Agility in Processes, we became too “stuck” in only process-minded thinking and we must add strength in our “what if” thinking. Preparing individuals to solve what looks like unsolvable and giving them the confidence, empowerment, and trust that they are capable of doing just that…designing the future.

Tell us about your involvement with LogiChem this year

I have been a board member of LogiChem since 2019 and a participant/speaker since 2018. With pleasure, I am part of the board highlighting the importance of Supply Chain Culture as well as giving a Key Note in Mindful Leadership and Workstream discussion on Attracting Talent and Future Leaders.

Don’t miss Stephanie Wright’s session on collective consciousness at LogiChem 2022, being held in March at De Doelen ICC Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Download the agenda to discover all the key topics discussed.