My learnings after 20 years working in Purchasing & Supply Chain:
👉1. Companies and Countries do not have friends. They have INTERESTS.
👉2. Such interests are, obviously, negotiated and defended by PEOPLE!
👉3. And that’s why it is so important to develop interpersonal skills. For the business and for your own CAREER.
👉4. NETWORKING we build in a daily basis, not ‘when needed’.
👉5. We don’t do anything by ourselves. Cooperations, trust and RESPECT are the basis for good teamwork.
👉6. Partnership is the new LEADERSHIP. In a relation between customer x supplier we are, most of the times, more interdependent from each other than we can perceive (or than we wish we were).
👉7. There is no free lunch. But courtesies can always be negotiated. Win /win solutions are the only sustainable ones.
👉8. RESPECT and ethics are essential, always.
👉9. Facts and data are crucial. But do not underestimate your gut feeling – which is the sum of your experiences and your vision.
And the most basic and most important, in my view:
👉10. Leadership is not a job title. It is ATTITUDE!
And you? What are the most valuable learnings from your professional journey?
