The Evolving Role Of Operations Leadership: High Stakes, High Trust, High Impact

COVID-19 has revealed disruptions to supply & demand, and operations leaders have grown to maintain organizational stability during this time. To survive and thrive in this more VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) world, operations leaders are reaping significant insights into their roles and how their organizations responded to challenges during the pandemic. Across the supply chain, operations leaders were at the helm of driving collaboration. The uncertainty of COVID-19 demonstrated a clear imperative for operations leaders to reframe their roles. 

Higher Ambition Leadership Executive Fellows Julian V. McCarthy, Stephen Sichak, Magnus Finnström, and Ian Simington co-authored this piece in Chief Executive to provide insight on how operations leaders responded during the pandemic and lessons they carry forward. They stressed the need for:

• Readiness and capability to navigate cycles of adaptation and recovery

• Coordinated actions to build true operational resilience

• Reframing the strategic role and development of operations leaders

“By designating operational resilience as a strategic priority and by providing enlightened operations leaders with a true voice at the executive table, companies can energize their entire organization, unleash human potential, and elevate operations as a vital source of resilience, positive impact, and strategic advantage”