Distributors that want to keep up with digital disrupters should understand their industry's risk, learn from Amazon Business and other early adopters and build distinctive ecosystems that meet customer needs, according to this McKinsey analysis. One example is American Tire Distributors' partnership with OneRail that enabled quicker delivery of tires.

Terence Leung of Blue Yonder discusses five key technologies for logistics companies that want to "deliver more predictable, profitable results." For example, dynamic price discovery can replace manual tasks and reduce spot use, which creates cost savings.

Shanghai's extension of pandemic-related lockdowns is causing further delays at the city's port, where more than 300 ships were waiting to discharge or load. Maersk has warned that the pandemic restrictions will lead to higher transport costs and longer delivery times.

Good communications practices can mitigate problems caused by product shortages, higher costs and other things that a company can't control, writes David Wachs of Handwrytten. Returning to in-person meetings and events can provide a better impression than virtual connections, and distinguishing your business or yourself on social media and employing tried-and-true handwritten notes are other smart moves, Wachs writes.

White paper uploads increased by 20.3% in 2021, marking the largest growth among business-to-business content formats, while e-books accounted for the largest percentage of content engagement at 43.3%, according to a NetLine study. The study also found that the three top job categories among those consuming B2B content were IT, executives and education.

Connected Commerce Council is ostensibly a small-business lobbying group based in Washington, D.C., but some small businesses listed as members say they have never heard of the organization, according to a CNBC investigation. The council is solely funded by Google and Amazon, according to a spokesperson for the group.

"America's Singing Cowboy," Gene Autry, found success by not being afraid to embrace new opportunities and new ways of performing, writes Wally Bock. Autry never let his audience forget him, Bock writes, noting: "His products promoted his movies which promoted his radio show which promoted his records."

Clean power is the practice of power and influence without "abuse, office politics, backstabbing and manipulation" -- requiring leaders to regularly revisit their networks, create reciprocity with key stakeholders and organize coalitions for big issues, writes Art Petty. "Couple this effort with a genuine effort to generate visibility for individuals helping you make it happen, and you reinforce the reciprocity effect in a virtuous manner," Petty writes.

NAW is convening distribution CEOs of companies with annual sales between $10 million and $80 million for a virtual peer exchange on Tuesday, April 12, at 1:30 p.m. ET. The meeting will feature a presentation from Dr. Terry Wu, a nationally acclaimed neuroscientist who has earned prominence for applying neuroscience to help top executives increase their leadership effectiveness. CEOs will also have the opportunity to bring top-of-mind business challenges to the meeting and receive peer advice, feedback, and support to take back to their executive teams. Registration is limited to a small audience -- sign up today!