Today, leadership is about making an impact and helping others find purpose and meaning.

During last year’s We Supply America tour, I met a young man by the name of Matt Daniel. Matt is the branch manager for Eastern Industrial in Greenville, South Carolina. Before Eastern, he came from a broken culture where he was just a number. But at Eastern Industrial, he was more than that. He was part of a family.

Bender, a plumbing supplies distributor with six locations across Connecticut, has taken giving people purpose straight to the heart. So much so that it’s not uncommon to see tears during their regular Purpose Meetings.

Companies, leaders and employees who are not routinely energized are at risk of burnout, fatigue and complacency.

One of our 34 stops last year was at Dakota Supply Group. Paul Kennedy, the distributor’s CEO, said the tour stop was inspiring to his team. “I don’t think anyone has been able to articulate what we do as distributors as well as you are doing on this tour you are on. I felt that we needed to be a part of it - to be a part of the story you’re telling. Helping our team understand the important role they fill in contributing to building America, that was great.”

COVID-19 is a flashpoint and many distributors know it; relevance and sustainability demand transformation. 

Distribution is dead.

OK, I don’t want to be hyperbolic. So, let’s try this: Distribution “as we know it and we’ve relied in the past doesn’t exist anymore.”

Here is a counterintuitive thought … surround yourself with like-minded individuals.

As we ring in the New Year, the math tells us there will be 31,536,000 seconds 2020.

Roughly 72% of distribution leaders believe the pace of change is too slow in their business. Leaders in distribution must define their “next.”