A report from APICS Supply Chain Council examines critical success factors of a supply chain leader, including his or her attributes, leadership style and ability to formally and informally influence a multitude of stakeholders.

The use of external labor is widespread, comprising as much as 30 percent to 50 percent of the total global workforce. Companies of all sizes, and in all industries and geographies, have a large flexible workforce on the ground around the world, including contingent workers, independent contractors, workers engaged through Statements of Work (SOWs), offshore resources and those involved in a variety of other project-based services.

As the pace of business accelerates and competition intensifies, companies in virtually all industries are confronting greater uncertainty and complexity. In the face of such challenges, HR has the potential to be a significant strategic asset by ensuring that companies have the human capital they need to compete and the ability to react fast to changing environments.

Developing leadership skills that transform the supply chain to new levels of excellence is becoming more of a priority for organizations. Supply chain organizations need to take a holistic, strategic and global approach to leadership development. APQC's research indicates that there is a significant gap between leadership competencies needed for an organization to be successful and the competencies that employees currently possess, suggesting that there is indeed a leadership skills gap.

Nominations are being accepted through July 31, 2015, to recognize 30 individuals 30 years old or younger who are bolstering the supply chain management profession.

SupplyChainBrain and JobsInLogistics have joined forces for the specialized purpose of:

Companies are finding that the growing complexity of supply chains has a significant consequence: hiring the right people to build and manage the expansive operations is more difficult than ever.