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In a world of constant disruption, how should managers respond?

Written by Dave Waller Tuesday 05 May 2026

We live at a time of unprecedented interconnectivity, where even localised upheaval can have a huge destabilising effect thousands of miles away. We asked Chartered Managers with supply chain expertise how they manage through disruption.

There was a time when organisations could treat even severe disruption as a mere blip. It’s now become the norm, with events having a negative ripple effect around the world. In the few years since the unimaginable upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global supply chain has been thrown upside down again with the war in Ukraine, and now the conflict in Iran.

While managers may feel a natural desire to hunker down and wait for stability to return, that looks increasingly like a fool’s errand. The ability to lead through severe disruption is no longer a skill to be brought out and dusted off occasionally; it’s a core competency.

We spoke to three Chartered Managers who have experienced the sharp end of the supply chain, asking what it takes to lead through the storm. Here are their top tips.

1. Build trust early

Resilience is not a switch you can flick when a crisis hits. It’s an investment you have to make during ‘peacetime’. The managers who pivot fastest will have spent years building trust with their suppliers and partners. When things go south, those invisible bonds become an invaluable asset.

“When you have genuine trust with suppliers, partners and customers, you can have honest conversations quickly about capacity, risk and priorities,” says Joann Robertson CMgr FCMI, head of supply chain transformation at Babcock International Group.

“That relational capital is invisible on a balance sheet, but absolutely critical when the world shifts. The leaders who are managing well right now are the ones who asked ‘What if?’ questions 18 months ago and built contingency into their operating models.”

2. Think strategically

When costs rise or supply chains break, the kneejerk reaction is to scale back, freeze recruitment or downsize. But disruption can last far longer than expected. Anthony Murphy CMgr MCMI FIC, facilities management consultant at Veritas, is a seasoned manager in the government and supply chain sectors. “Act, don’t react,” he urges leaders. He suggests looking for internal efficiencies before making drastic cuts that could hamper long-term growth.

“Start to look now at what your cost base is, and make some strategic decisions around planning for the long-term future, rather than thinking short term and crossing your fingers,” Anthony says. “Don’t necessarily jump to cutting, slashing and downsizing without exploring the steps that you may well have missed as an opportunity before.”

Keep reading – three more tips

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