ABSTRACT
Over 2500 years ago, Sun Tzu wrote the words above. As we wrap up the topic of velocity management, think about the foresight of these words. To have organizational effectiveness, one must have a secure supply chain and know not only one’s self, but the competition, the supply chain partners, and the needs of the customer. The chain of command is the leadership of an organization. In the military, the chain of command extends from the president of the United States down to the platoon leader and platoon sergeant. In commercial supply chains, the chain of command extends from the chief executive officer of the company all the way down to your first-line supervisors. Moreover, leadership is the key to organizational effectiveness. The great Vince Lombardi once told a crowd that the doctrine of command is leadership. Equating command and leadership makes it easier to understand the concept of the chain of command in a commercial supply chain.
