Supply chain reaction: Peter Jones

History has proven time and again that the importance of strong leadership within an organization is paramount; without it, companies will inevitably experience a dramatic freefall from which they may never recover.

So what does strong leadership look like? For Peter Jones, the Founder and Director of Prological, leadership is not defined by a role or a position.

"A leader is someone that just gets on with it. Whatever it is that they believe in and are passionate about, and a whole host of other people getting behind them and following them," he says.

"When you look at profound leaders, they’re usually people that are doing things differently to the mainstream. For example, Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs all have – or had – very different personalities but are consistent in that they’ve all led in a different way to what the mainstream approach has been.

"These leaders are looking for that unique thing, that creative solution, and then sometimes that is such that other people say, ‘I never thought of that. I really like it and I want to be a part of it, so I’m going to join in.’"

Supply chain success

Ultimately, according to Jones, the business strategy needs to come from the board or the CEO.

"If the power and direction of the business is actually led from somewhere other than that, it’s inevitably going to struggle," he explains. "Businesses that become much sharper in their strategic direction will be more empowered to actually deliver because they’ve removed that internal disconnect."

When it comes to a company’s supply chain, Jones says it’s essential that it aligns with the business strategy. In such a competitive environment, where large multinational companies have sophisticated IT and processes in place, not getting a company’s supply chain right can result in disaster.

"When we have a business strategy with ambition and clear objectives, but we don’t have a supply chain structure designed to be able to fulfill those business objectives, that’s when you have a problem," he points out.

"By about 2030–2035, there’ll be a lot of businesses that just won’t exist because competitors within their sector will have closed this gap between business strategy and execution, and those that haven’t done that within the same sector are going to struggle to compete."

"I take the ‘Why are we doing this?’ from the CEO or the board of a business and turn that into something great."

Jones founded Prological in 2010 as a way to reimagine supply chains for business clients both big and small. He says Prological uses evidence-based insights to disrupt and re-engineer clients’ existing supply chains with creative, end-to-end solutions, and works with business leaders to enhance overall effectiveness.

"At the senior level, the leader needs to be constant, so firstly, they need to have clarity around what they’re trying to achieve, and secondly, why they are trying to achieve that mission," he says.

"Unless you understand why you’re trying to do something, it’s very hard to get other people to buy in. And if you want to do anything that’s going to be successful, then you need to bring lots of people with you.

"I take the ‘Why are we doing this?’ from the CEO or the board of a business and turn that into something great."

Building a legacy

Jones himself has enjoyed remarkable success over many years with this innovative approach to leadership. The eldest of three children, his family circumstances meant he had to step up at a young age and be independent, while also help to care for his younger siblings.

"The way the family evolved, I made my own way and my own choices growing up. And maybe by the good grace of God, I got more of those right than wrong," he says.

His first job at 12 was as a milk boy, and while in high school, his entrepreneurial flare saw him running ski trips for his fellow classmates. He later became a machine fitter and then trained as a vocational minister. For the past 27 years, however, he has very successfully applied his extensive expertise and passion to supply chain consultancy.

"We work very hard to honor the legacies we find in businesses, while also making sure we leave a legacy worth honoring."

When it comes to his own legacy, Jones says he’s most inspired to leave a solid foundation for those yet to come to springboard to greater success.

"I try and learn from what people before me have left behind so I can then ‘plus one’ them. I’m also looking to ‘plus one’ myself with people who are further down the road to me in what I want to achieve," he reveals.

"At Prological, we work very hard to honor the legacies we find in businesses, while also making sure we leave a legacy worth honoring."