Everyone has a natural way of operating in life and business. But how a leader operates has a much bigger impact on others. This principle also applies to organizations. Leaders of external stakeholder relationships have the same responsibilities of leaders of internal stakeholders, but with potentially much greater influence.

The most effective way of leading an organization is through servant leadership. But power leadership is how supply chains are typically operated through command and control, inspect and verify, penalize and threaten, and compliance enforcement.

It is said that business isn’t personal, yet the way businesses operate with suppliers influences culture and ultimately impacts people. In the end, the relational impact of power supply leadership is no different than the human impact of a power leader.

For Influence is an invitation to operate differently, turning the supply chain model upside down and serving suppliers. Inviting them into the vision, helping them see their role in achieving the vision, and asking what they need to be successful. And sharing the fruits when there is a good return produced by the relationship.

This is servant supply leadership.