Agricultural distributor Wilbur-Ellis is marking its 100th anniversary this year, which is "the definition of sustainability," President and CEO John Buckley says. However, he adds, "[Y]ou don't last long without being profitable."

New Amazon CEO Andy Jassy will encounter antitrust challenges from lawmakers who contend that the company should be broken up, as well as regulators who are already investigating its competitive practices. Amazon has opposed House legislation that would force it to separate its marketplace operations.

Authenticity, strong character and decisiveness are essential attributes for leaders in the logistics industry today, according to executives at the recent SMC3 Connections industry conference. ArcBest President, Chairman and CEO Judy McReynolds and J.B. Hunt Chief Commercial Officer Shelley Simpson said they look for individuals with proven skills and acumen who have the potential to enhance corporate culture and who genuinely care about their colleagues.

Sales forecasts are often inaccurate because leaders fail to look beyond metrics or consider factors such as digital agility, writes Joe Paranteau. Make sure clear plans are in place to lead customers through the sales cycle, which will help make forecasting more accurate, Paranteau writes.

Receiving approval from others feels good, but it's not worth compromising your integrity, writes Gregg Vanourek, who advises being self-aware and setting boundaries to stay on track. "The expectations of others are a terrible guide for deciding what's right for us in our own particular context," he writes.

Some people feel guilty if they take time for themselves or ignore after-hours work emails, but career coach Anna Vogel says companies and employees both benefit from clear expectations. "How (and what time) you re-charge and rest is very individual, the most important thing is that we get it in one way or another," says Vogel.

The country is opening up and so are NAW's offerings! Our NAW-Texas A&M Certificate in Professional Management classes will launch on campus at Texas A&M University starting this fall. Learn more.

According to David Bauders, SPARXiQ CEO, "Most distributors believe that their efforts of building home-grow pricing matrices amount to accomplishing strategic pricing, but they often experience only modest or flat or even declining (over time) profit improvements." Read his post.

NAW partner Gallagher offers free town hall discussion on best practices to retain talent with an inclusive benefits strategy. Learn more.