Two Ways to Lead in an Era of Constant Change

We recently hosted an exclusive group of logistics executives at the project44 office. This group included CEOs from some of the largest transportation companies in the world, people I’ve been working with for decades. Throughout our discussions, I started to notice a common theme—the way our industry has changed in recent years. 

One quote stuck out to me in particular: “We’ve seen more change in the last two years than we have in the last seventy-five years combined.”

That got me thinking about leadership in the midst of constant change. Especially in an industry like logistics, where progress was slow for such a long time. 

Digitalization is the driving force behind this rapid transformation. So, I think it makes sense to look at examples of other tech giants and apply them here. 

#1 - Build a Great Team and Trust Their Expertise

I have a saying, “All roads lead back to recruiting and hiring.” Sports metaphors might be completely overused in the world of business, but at the end of the day, project44 is a team. 

It’s the sum of all parts. If you build a great team, trust their expertise, allow them to exercise their innovative spirit, and pay attention to the great work they’re doing, you’ll find that a pattern of good ideas starts to emerge. This is increasingly vital in a rapidly evolving market. 

Twitter, for example, started off as a podcasting company before pivoting towards microblogging after seeing iTunes begin to take over the podcast space. What started off as a side project within an entirely different idea eventually grew into one of the world’s largest and most influential social media platforms. 

Jack Dorsey, a co-founder of Twitter, was the engineer in charge of that project. When Odeo (the company from which Twitter emerged) realized their total addressable market was shrinking, they saw the potential of this internal project and capitalized on it. 

The takeaway here is that not every idea needs to come directly from leadership. If you’ve built a team of A-players—of intelligent, fearless innovators—all you have to do is trust in them and recognize a category-changing idea when it presents itself. 

Google is one of the best in the world at this. Two of their most successful enterprise and consumer products—Gmail and Adsense—started as unofficial side projects by Google team members. They’re a company that isn’t afraid to let their team explore creativity and innovations. 

As a result, they’ve built some of the most widely used products in the world. This isn’t something that can happen when your organizational culture is resistant to new ideas.

#2 - Obsess, Obsess, Obsess Over the Customer

If you’ve read my previous articles, you’ve probably heard me say this before: obsess over the customer. 

This is one of project44’s core values. It drives a lot of our strategy and decision making. Customer behavior and demand is a great indicator of your need for change. 

There’s an incredibly delicate balance between making tweaks to an existing product or strategy and making a full pivot to something entirely different like Twitter did. If there’s anyone who can tell you where an industry is headed and where your opportunity is, it’s the people for whom that industry exists. 

Let’s dive into what we’re hearing from our customers today. We’re seeing the delivery experience dictate corporate strategic direction like never before. I covered this in an article last week where I talked about the impact of emerging software on both B2B and B2C delivery expectations. 

Amazon changed the game for customer experience. We are now at the point where everyone expects less than two-day shipping. They expect it to be free or very inexpensive as well. Easy return options are a must. 

The list goes on, but the point is that Amazon has reshaped the entire world’s delivery expectations. 

Our customers are all looking to project44 to help them uncover new ways to create that optimal experience in their own operations. This includes the world’s leading brands such as Amazon, PepsiCo, Overstock, Unilever, ExxonMobil, AbbVie, Walgreens, and Dollar General. 

Since we are motivated by and obsessed with the success of our customers, we thrive when our products solve their most complex challenges. I know that means solving their immediate pain today, while also finding ways to future-proof their supply chains. 

So What? 

When it comes to navigating your company through eras of extreme change, I wish I could tell you there’s an exact science. That’s what’s tricky about change—it’s often unpredictable. 

You have to try and find the right balance between trusting your gut, relying on the expertise of your team, and paying close attention to your customers and market. As they say, change is the only constant—never become so stuck in your ways that you let the industry pass you by.