To Move Up, You First Must Work in the Business

In supply chain organizations, talent management is often discussed in terms of recruiting, retention, succession planning and upskilling. And all of those are important.

But one principle deserves more attention: People cannot effectively work on the business until they have first worked in the business. For supply management leaders, that distinction is critical. It shapes credibility, judgment and the ability to influence meaningful change.

Early career professionals bring energy and fresh ideas, strengths that are valuable. However, supply chain work is built on interconnected decisions, trade-offs and relationships that are best understood through experience.

Working in the business means learning the realities behind procurement cycles, supplier constraints, cross-functional collaboration, escalation paths, stakeholder expectations and operational pressure. It means understanding not just what happens, but why it happens.

Experience creates the foundation for strong leadership. When professionals have first-hand knowledge of the work, they are better prepared to improve processes, challenge assumptions and recommend changes that are practical rather than theoretical.

They can communicate from a position of credibility because they understand the day-to-day reality of the teams they support. In other words, they earn the right to work on the business by first learning how the business actually works by being in the business.

The Future Supply Chain Workforce

For entry-level professionals and recent graduates, the message is clear: Build a strong base before you expect vertical growth. Advancement matters, but experience remains the foundation of influence.

Learning the why, how, who and what of your business operations takes time. The professionals who become trusted change agents are those who have taken the time to understand the work at a detailed level, ask thoughtful questions, and develop sound judgment through repetition, observation and accountability.

For mid-level and senior leaders, the message is equally important: Talent does not develop by accident. Leaders own the responsibility to define growth paths, create developmental experiences and build succession plans that connect operational exposure with leadership readiness. If those paths do not exist, leaders should create them. A clear step ladder helps team members see how capability is built over time and what experiences are necessary before taking on larger strategic responsibility.

This is especially important in supply management, where the pressure to move quickly can tempt organizations to promote workers based on potential alone. Potential matters, but unmanaged acceleration can leave employees underprepared and organizations exposed to increased risk.

Strong talent management balances ambition with readiness, giving emerging professionals stretch opportunities while ensuring they also gain the operational grounding needed to lead sustainably.

Mentorship, Curiosity and Readiness

One of the most effective ways to accelerate this development is through intentional mentorship. When experienced leaders invest in curious, growth-oriented professionals, they help translate experience into perspective.

Mentorship can shorten the learning curve, but it does not replace the need for experience. Instead, it helps professionals make better sense of what they are learning while they are working.

Curiosity also plays a defining role. Professionals who ask thoughtful questions, seek to understand root causes and remain open to feedback are often the ones best positioned for long-term leadership. In supply chain environments, where decisions ripple across suppliers, operations, finance and customers, curiosity is not a soft skill. It is a strategic capability.

Ultimately, effective talent management in supply chain is not just about filling roles. It is about developing professionals who understand the business deeply enough to improve it responsibly. The strongest leaders are often those who have spent time in the operational details, learned from that experience, and then used those lessons to shape better systems, better teams, and better outcomes.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Jamesteohart)