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Interestingly, this program was not heavily attended.

Why is it that we – supply chain professionals who care about our jobs and believe that the supply chain would be well served if its practitioners had more respect and a higher position in the organization – will spend our time on a program dealing with par levels, but we will not bother with a program about advancing our positions? It is time to get serious about gaining the skills needed to lead the new supply chain. With that in mind I present a few of the skills and attributes from the program.

Advanced degree. You just can’t get ahead without one. Yes, it can be a real sacrifice putting in the time and effort. But the advanced degree talks to your commitment to being a leader and your desire to learn. Besides, you will actually gain knowledge that can help you in your job today as well as tomorrow.

Negotiation. As a supply chain executive you need to be the top negotiator in your organization. Negotiation is a skill most materials professionals have at least some expertise in. But some expertise may not be enough. You shouldn’t just be a good negotiator; you should be a great negotiator. To do so you need to get as much training as possible and practice, practice, practice. Every supply chain executive should understand and use the principals of win-win negotiation. You can get the basics from seminars or just by reading the books. Besides win-win there are other great negotiation programs. Bob Simpson suggested The Wharton School. I can attest to the value of the ACHE program.

Public speaking. This skill is immensely important for an executive. If you want to be part of the C-suite, or even just an outstanding supply chain executive, you must be effective in communicating with the board, the executive team, the medical staff, the department managers and other groups. Effective presentation skills will significantly improve your chances of getting your ideas and proposals accepted and will significantly improve your image within your organization. Further, a record of public speaking is a great resume builder.

Change management. If supply chain executives and C-suite occupants have one major challenge in common, it is the need to advocate for and manage change. As the supply chain morphs, the supply chain leader has a great opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to drive change effectively. It is a good way to get noticed in a positive manner.

Leadership. This is an often stated quality, but one that is hard to pin down. Some people say you are either born with it, or you never have it. I do not agree. As we move up in title and responsibility we learn to be excellent managers. As we continue to move towards the C-suite we need to change our perspective and actions. We must begin to incorporate more leader activities. And leader activities are much different from those of a manager.

Attributes. While we concentrate on skill sets, personal attributes are important as well. Three that were mentioned during the program were energy, flexibility and ethics. High energy – usually accompanied by a very positive attitude – projects the image of an individual who is successful. Combined with leadership-type actions and demonstrated accomplishments, energy can bring a level of respect hard to attain without it. Flexibility is the hallmark of a good supply chain executive, and it is highly desired by those in the C-suite. Finally, admission to the C-suite requires an individual that is trustworthy and whose ethics are without question.

A few other important skills include: A good understanding of finance – especially the intricacies of healthcare finance, good analytics, excellent communications, facilitation and the ability to work with physicians.