Genuine Parts' Motion unit is on track to finish integrating Kaman Distribution Group ahead of schedule, while looking for other potential acquisitions, according to President Randy Breaux. Meanwhile, Motion is adding automation to more fulfillment and distribution centers and increasing the use of artificial intelligence in e-commerce and other areas.
US freight rail workers might have averted a strike at the last minute, but labor disputes are sprouting up worldwide among warehouse and shipping workers, threatening an already-fragile supply chain. UK dockworkers have begun a two-week strike, and conflicts continue in South Korea and the US.
Distributors can protect valuable data from hackers by increasing password security, keeping software updated and providing cybersecurity training to employees, writes Erika Torres of Prokeep. Investing in systems and technology verified through auditing processes can add an extra layer of protection, Torres adds.
Buyers may hesitate to spend during uncertain times, but sellers can overcome that by providing confident leadership, writes sales trainer Paul Reilly. Leading with expertise, stability, confidence and "a better vision for the future" can reassure and guide buyers, Reilly writes.
Sales managers can improve their teams' sales performance by first creating a competency model of necessary skills and character traits and then assessing how each team member stacks up to that model, entrepreneur and speaker Anthony Iannarino writes. Identifying each person's deficiencies, coaching them toward improvement and communicating high expectations can lead to a more effective sales team, Iannarino asserts.
Leaders always have different styles, but all of them must "be self-disciplined and very organized," and understand that everyone will look to them for guidance on how to act, says Christine Elliott, a veteran business leader and board director. "Personal values and behaviors are key for setting the tone for the organization and how people are going to behave," Elliot notes.
Your ego may be getting in the way of your leadership if you think you're the smartest person in the room, you blame others for your mistakes, you lack humility or are averse to self-reflection, writes LaRae Quy. "Because an egotistical person is usually only interested in doing whatever it takes to be successful, they seldom delve into the deeper issue of meaning and purpose in their life," Quy writes.
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