Lights, Camera, Supply Chain: Unexpected Supply Chain Leadership Lessons from Iconic Films

Supply Chain Now | March 10, 2025
Host: Scott Luden
Guest: Mike Griswold, VP Analyst, Gartner

Overview of Episode

In this lively episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luden and Gartner’s Mike Griswold break from today’s headlines to explore how unexpected leadership lessons for supply chain professionals can be found in iconic Hollywood films. In celebration of the recent Academy Awards, they analyze three classic movies—Hoosiers, World War Z, and Jaws—drawing parallels between on-screen drama and the core principles of effective supply chain management. The conversation is rich with stories, memorable quotes, and well-timed humor.

Key Sections & Insights

1. Warm-Up & Movie-Themed Trivia (01:00–07:03)

• Fun Quiz Start: Instead of the usual warm-up, Scott quizzes Mike with pop culture trivia tied to the episode date.

  • Questions:
    • Who was born March 10, 1920? (Alfred Peet, founder of Peet’s Coffee)
    • What planet’s rings were discovered in 1977? (Uranus, not Saturn)
    • Who won best album for “Jagged Little Pill” in 1996? (Alanis Morissette)

• Memorable Dialogue:

  • “It's almost like we want the virtual swear jar—if we mention the T word [tariff], you got to throw some money in that.” — Mike Griswold (02:13)

2. Leadership Lessons from “Hoosiers” (07:03–10:57)

Movie: Hoosiers
Leadership Lesson: Broad Teamwork & Supply Chain Definition

• Hoosiers as Metaphor:

  • Gene Hackman’s role as a basketball coach exemplifies teamwork: “Five people playing together, no one more important than the other.” (07:13)
  • In supply chain: leading companies define supply chain broadly—"plan, source, make, deliver, customer service... manufacturing innovation”—not just “warehouses and trucks.” (08:13)

• Key Insight:

  • Mature organizations have a holistic view of supply chain—a wide “team” is essential.
  • Quote: “No one functional area is more important than the other. They all work together.” — Mike Griswold (08:59)

• Bonus Movie Mentions:

  • Tribute to Gene Hackman’s other roles in “Bat 21” and “Crimson Tide” for their leadership lessons (10:04), with Scott adding “Unforgiven.”

3. The “Tenth Man” Principle from “World War Z” (11:34–17:48)

Movie: World War Z
Leadership Lesson: Building a Culture that Welcomes Dissension & Contingency Planning

• Setup:

  • In the film, Israel survived the initial zombie outbreak because of the “tenth man” rule: "If nine people all have the same answer...the 10th person has to take a counter position and prove the other nine wrong." (13:34)

• Application to Supply Chain:

  • “We need to create an environment where dissenting perspectives can be heard and be acknowledged.” (14:34)
  • Importance of anticipating unlikely risks—pandemics, tariffs, natural disasters.
  • This approach breeds “antifragility”—the ability to become stronger through adversity.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “If you put 10 people in a room, nine of them would have said there's no way we are going to have to close retail locations for any period of time. Yet what happened during the pandemic?” — Mike Griswold (14:50)
  • On dissent: “We should listen to understand, not to respond.” — Mike Griswold (16:33)

• Tactical Insight:

  • Leaders must ensure everyone’s perspective is heard and “listen to understand.”

4. Aligning Planning & Execution: Lessons from “Jaws” (18:09–23:27)

Movie: Jaws
Leadership Lesson: Strategy Alignment, Flexibility, and Execution under Pressure

• Iconic Line as Metaphor:

  • “We're going to need a bigger boat.” (18:29)

• Planning vs. Execution:

  • In the film: The plan to defeat the shark falls apart when faced with its true size.
  • In supply chain: “The inability to align planning and execution.” (18:47)
  • Sales & operations planning is vital—matching demand and supply.

• Broader Message:

  • Even the best strategies must be flexible to account for unexpected challenges.
  • “How we create mechanisms to do that is what separates leading supply chains from lagging supply chains.” — Mike Griswold (20:45)

• The Value—and Limits—of ‘Quint’ Types:

  • Quint brought experience, but his rigid, my-way approach hampered the group.
  • “It’s finding that balance between a resource that has big picture and has got experience, but also has... flexibility to adapt.” — Mike Griswold (21:36)

• Fun Film References:

  • John Williams’ scores in “Jaws” and “Star Wars” as signals of imminent drama (23:27)
  • “That’s a Monday in some organizations around the world.” — Scott Luden (24:00)

5. Segment: The Importance of Industry Events (25:22–27:47)

• Gartner Supply Chain Symposium:
  • Largest gathering of supply chain professionals globally.
  • Value: Networking, exposure to diverse perspectives, recognition that unique challenges are widespread.
  • “Many of the challenges that they're facing, they're not alone... It’s just a huge collection of really smart people talking about topics that really resonate.” — Mike Griswold (26:18)

6. How to Connect & Closing Thoughts (27:47–28:52)

• Contact:

  • Mike Griswold is available via LinkedIn and at Mike.Griswold@gartner.com for questions or speaking engagements. (27:47)

• Call to Action:

  • “You have to take one thing that Mike shared here today and put it into practice.” — Scott Luden (28:19)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It’s almost like we want the virtual swear jar…if we mention the T word, you got to throw some money in that.” — Mike Griswold (02:13)
• “No one functional area is more important than the other. They all work together.” — Mike Griswold (08:59)
• “If nine people all have the same answer…the 10th person has to take a counter position and prove the other nine wrong.” — Mike Griswold on “World War Z” (13:34)
• “We should listen to understand, not to respond.” — Mike Griswold (16:33)
• “We’re going to need a bigger boat.” — from “Jaws”, discussed by Mike Griswold (18:29)
• “How we create mechanisms to [react to unknowns] is what separates leading supply chains from lagging supply chains.” — Mike Griswold (20:45)
• “That’s a Monday in some organizations around the world.” — Scott Luden (24:00)

Flow & Tone

The episode is energetic, friendly, and packed with pop culture references. Scott Luden’s casual, interactive style draws out personal anecdotes and practical advice from Mike Griswold, making complex supply chain concepts relatable through film analogies.

Summary Table of Movies & Lessons

| Movie | Supply Chain Lesson | Timestamp | |--------------|-------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Hoosiers | Teamwork, Broad Supply Chain Definition | 07:03–10:57 | | World War Z | Value of Dissent, Contingency & Risk Planning | 11:34–17:48 | | Jaws | Aligning Planning & Execution, Strategic Flexibility | 18:09–23:27 |

For more supply chain leadership insights with a twist of Hollywood storytelling, listen to the full episode or connect directly with the hosts to share your own film-inspired lessons.