Transportation leaders must be adaptable if they are to thrive

by Truck West

BANFF, Alta. – With the impact transportation has on Alberta’s supply chain, it’s vital the industry has leaders who are able to adapt to the ever-changing environment.

That’s according to Janice Isberg, CEO of the Supply Chain Management Association of Alberta, who highlighted what she called the Triple A supply chain where being adaptable, agile, and aligned will lead to a sustainable competitive advantage.

This approach goes for leaders as well, who require the ability to adapt over time, while uniting and exciting co-workers to align to a common strategy.

“If you can get them to do that, then your company is going to thrive,” said Isberg. “That’s called alignment, and good leaders can do that.”

Isberg added that part of being able to adapt is not simply dismissing new ideas and technologies. Using autonomous trucks as an example, Isberg said though she could not envision driverless trucks hitting the roads anytime soon, Triple A leaders do not reject the notion, but align a strategy around the idea that moves a business forward.

Strong leaders must also be able to manage the expectations of their customers, all while being able to build and maintain strong relationships, adding to a company’s reliability.

Janice Isberg.

Supply chain management, as Isberg pointed out, has several “touch points,” with transportation not only being an integral one, but an often overlooked component.

“Transportation is what chains everything together. We average people don’t think about it that way, but ultimately you’re the glue that keeps it all together,” Isberg told attendees of the Alberta Motor Transport Association’s 80th annual Leadership Conference and AGM in Banff, Alta. April 21.

Isberg said that according to a 2018 study by the Alberta Council of Technologies, transportation was in the Top 4 of most resilient industries in Alberta. She speculated the reason for this resiliency was because transportation was engaged in so many touch points in the supply chain and that the state of the economy has less of an effect on the industry.


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