Supply Chain Now – The Lightning Round: Mike Griswold on Careers, Buzzwords, Planning & More

Podcast: Supply Chain Now
Episode Date: October 29, 2025
Guests: Scott Lewton (Host), Mike Griswold (Gartner, VP Analyst)

Episode Overview

This episode features a fast-paced "Lightning Round" Q&A with Mike Griswold, a long-standing, highly respected supply chain analyst at Gartner. The conversation dives into personal insights, leadership superpowers, industry buzzwords, career reflections, stories from the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25, technology trends, and the evolving definition of supply chain excellence. The tone is collegial, candid, and engaging, with both host and guest drawing connections between personal stories and larger industry themes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ryder Cup, Team Performance & Supply Chain Lessons

• [03:20-08:49]
  • Ryder Cup Analogy: Mike explains how Europe's continuity, detailed planning, and organizational focus led to their Ryder Cup win, and draws a parallel to supply chain execution.
    • Quote: “You need your best assets to perform when the lights are the brightest…If they don’t, you’re going to have problems.” – Mike Griswold [08:08]
  • US Team vs. Europe: US lacked cohesion and process; Europe had a singular mission, likened to high-performing supply chains.

2. Late-Night Fuel & Industry Shoutouts

• [10:11-11:07]
  • Wellness Fuel: Both Scott and Mike praise Costco's Kirkland Vitarane Zero for being sugar-free and sodium-free, joking about trading flavors at home and on sports teams.

3. Alternative Career Paths

• [11:39-12:51]
  • Mike’s “What If”: Initially aspired to be a corporate pilot, later realized a passion for basketball color commentary, especially women’s college games.
    • Quote: “I find myself watching those games often asking myself…How would I explain that to someone?” – Mike Griswold [12:42]

4. Board Game Analogies for Supply Chain Planning

• [13:24-15:23]
  • Supply Chain as Jenga: Most similar to Jenga due to its delicately balanced, interconnected structure; “one wrong move” can cause collapse.
    • Quote: "One misstep in pulling out one piece at the wrong spot, the structure collapses. And certainly I think that's very analogous to the supply chain." – Mike Griswold [13:53]
  • Honorable Mention: The mobile game 'Township' as a real-world supply chain simulation by resource generation, manufacturing, and logistics.

5. Buzzwords: Keep or Retire?

• [15:35-18:41]
  • AI (Artificial Intelligence): Both the most valuable and most overused buzzword for 2025.
    • Importance: "It's such a critical part...in providing solutions for the supply chain."
    • Problem: Too often misunderstood as a universal fix; nuanced discussion needed.
    • Quote: “Let’s really know what we’re talking about when we say AI…and let’s be a little bit more specific around what particular problem am I going to solve.” – Mike Griswold [16:29]
  • Other Buzzwords:
    • VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity): Old but apt, brought up by Scott, also cited as part of Gartner's research lexicon [19:45].
    • To Retire: Saying "WWW" before web addresses – seen as outdated and unnecessary.

6. Tech Trends: Overhyped vs. Underrated

• [21:13-22:53]
  • AI: Again cited as overhyped, but for good reason.
  • Planning Technology: Underrated – foundational to supply chain success; need more attention to core planning processes and technologies.
    • Quote: "If we don’t plan well at the very beginning of our supply chain process, it’s very hard to recover from that." – Mike Griswold [21:33]

7. History & Future of Retail Technology

• [23:05-25:36]
  • UPC Code Example: How technologies evolve far beyond their original design; speculates on future retail innovation (e.g., frictionless, scanless checkout).
    • Quote: "I can’t believe we used to have to scan an item one at a time." – Mike Griswold [25:15]

8. Gartner Supply Chain Top 25: Inside Stories

• [25:55-29:42]
  • Revealing the List: Most memorable in-person reaction was Starbucks’ joy at making the list for the first time.
  • Healthy vs. Unhealthy Obsession: Some companies see ranking as a healthy benchmark; others become fixated on moving up one or two places.
    • Quote: "We have other companies that have…an unhealthy obsession with the top 25 and where they land." – Mike Griswold [28:14]
  • Purpose: Focus should be on benchmarking and improvement, not just rank.

9. Supply Chain as a Movie Sequel

• [30:27-33:41]
  • “Return of the Jedi”: Mike’s choice, reflecting the post-COVID resurgence in public and organizational recognition of supply chain’s importance.
    • Quote: “…the return of the supply chain as being a force that can drive your organization forward, or it can be a boat anchor that’s going to hold your company back.” – Mike Griswold [32:06]
  • Scott’s Pick: “Groundhog Day” – because many problems remain, but solutions can evolve.

10. The Modern Supply Chain Leader’s Superpower

• [34:21-38:01]
  • Broadened End-to-End Vision: The ability to define supply chain as more than logistics—encompassing planning, new product development, customer service, innovation.
    • Quote: “The superpower is this ability to orientate your supply chain more from an end to end perspective…that to me is the superpower.” – Mike Griswold [34:23]
  • Leadership Qualities: Scott highlights “fact-based, respectful dialogue”—those who bring people together and move everyone forward, even through disagreement.
  • Collaborative Mindset: Mike adds that great leaders don’t always act as “the smartest person in the room,” but foster open discussion and collective problem-solving.

Memorable Quotes by Segment

• On the importance of supply chain planning and performance:
  “You need your best assets to perform when the lights are the brightest… If they don’t, you’re going to have problems.” – Mike Griswold [08:08]

• On AI as a buzzword:
  “Let’s really know what we’re talking about when we say AI… and let’s be a little bit more specific around what particular problem am I going to solve.” – Mike Griswold [16:29]

• On the Gartner Top 25 reactions:
  “There are people like Starbucks that have a healthy appreciation for the top 25… We have other companies that have what I would refer to as an unhealthy obsession with the top 25 and where they land.” – Mike Griswold [28:14]

• On the modern leader’s superpower:
  “The superpower is this ability to orientate your supply chain more from an end to end perspective… that to me is the superpower.” – Mike Griswold [34:23]

Important Timestamps

| Time | Topic / |--------|---------------------------------------| | 03:20 | Ryder Cup analogy: performance & planning lessons
| 10:11 | Favorite late-night “supply chain fuel”
| 11:39 | Mike’s alternative career choices
| 13:24 | Supply chain board game analogy: Jenga & Township
| 15:35 | Industry buzzwords: AI, VUCA, and what to retire
| 21:13 | Overhyped/underrated tech trends: AI, planning tech
| 25:55 | Behind the scenes: Gartner Top 25 reactions
| 30:27 | Movie sequel analogy: “Return of the Jedi”
| 34:21 | Supply chain leadership superpowers
| 39:17 | Preview of upcoming Gartner Planning Summits

Closing: Planning Summit & How to Connect

• [39:17-41:19]
  • Mike shares insights about the upcoming Gartner Planning Summits in London and Denver, their highly targeted focus on planning professionals, and the unique value of their format.
  • Connect with Mike:
    • Email: Mike.Griswold@gartner.com
    • LinkedIn: Mike Griswold

Tone & Language

The conversation is relaxed, relatable, and insightful, blending humor (costco drink swaps, Star Wars banter) with sharp industry analysis and practical anecdotes. Both host and guest provide actionable, nuanced advice with a focus on leadership, resilient planning, and adapting to evolving technology and business realities.

This episode is ideal for listeners seeking fresh, real-world perspectives on supply chain careers, leadership, buzzwords, technology, and the evolving definition of supply chain excellence—delivered in a lively and approachable style.