To kick off the 2024 EDGE Conference on Monday, September 30, CSCMP invited writer, speaker, and entertainer Morris Morrison to energize and inspire a crowd of around 2,000 attendees with a message about learning how to follow your own voice, the importance of relationships, and creating a contribution mindset.
As a motivational speaker, Morrison often speaks to kids, sports teams, and industry organizations. His first message to his listeners focuses on learning to follow your own voice.
With all the current disruptions impacted supply chains today—geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, and a looming port strike, to name a few—Morrison says we need supply chain leaders who have the ability to trust their guts, now more than ever.
In fact, he suggests the biggest indicator that will allow professionals to separate themselves from others centers on your relationships—starting with the relationship with yourself. Whether it’s learning to trust your gut, putting yourself outside of your comfort zone, or uncovering your superpower, we must prioritize being present with ourselves and being open to grow.
Once you have developed a good relationship with yourself, you can then connect with others. When you prioritize relationships, says Morrison, you start to realize that you are not on your own when it comes to implementing best practices in your organizations. The supply chain industry is like a big family—sometimes dysfunctional and uncomfortable, but more often than not, it’s truly interconnected and powerful.
“The thing that's going to change you and your business over these next few years, more than anything, is not the physical capabilities of your supply chain compared to your digital capabilities,” explains Morrison. “The biggest thing that's going to change are the requests that you get from your customers that you decide to say yes to.”
This is where having a true “contribution mindset” comes into play. According to Morrison, we are not meant to serve just ourselves, we are meant to serve others. He says we are all born with innate gifts but we must remember that the only way to turn those gifts into superpowers is to give them away. When you say yes to helping others, you will not miss out on life-changing opportunities.
At the end of the keynote, Morrison left the audience with one last piece of advice, “If there's ever been a time for supply chain to come together, that time, that moment, is right now.”
