And on the eighth day, God said, “Let there be women in supply chain… because things are a hot mess down there.”

Dear Organization Leaders, C-Suite Warriors and People Who Think “Resilience” Is Just a Buzzword.

If your supply chain is hanging by a prayer, it’s time to bring in true power: a woman. Not because it's trendy. Not because it's a diversity checkbox. But because when things go wrong, a woman is always right.

Here are the Ten Commandments us women live by in Supply Chain to show you exactly why the world needs more of us especially when the world keeps throwing disruptions like its confetti.

1. Thou Shalt Have Commitment Issues No More: If a woman can get the most emotionally unavailable guy to settle down, she can definitely get your flaky suppliers to commit to production timelines. Delayed shipment? Not on her watch. She’ll lock down that lead time, secure that allocation and hunt that PO down like it owes her money. Women are known to excel at building collaborative relationships with suppliers, which improves reliability and trust in supply chain performance (Sajjad et al., 2023).

2. Thou Shalt Not Blow the Budget: A woman can walk into a store, charm a discount, stack three promo codes and walk out with two outfits, accessories and change for coffee. So, negotiating and securing competitive contracts? Just another day at the bargain battlefield. Budgets don’t scare her, they obey her. Women in procurement leadership roles demonstrate stronger cost-saving outcomes due to more strategic sourcing practices (Sajjad et al., 2023).

3. Thou Shalt Not Be Moved by Office Politics: A woman has survived high school mean girls, clique drama and passive-aggressive group chats. Office politics? That’s child’s play. She’s not here to play power games. She came to optimize, not politicize. Organizations with more women in leadership roles report increased collaboration and improved team dynamics (Smith, 2016).

4. Thou Shalt Honor the End Goal: You may have "initiatives." A woman has missions. Women are end-goal ninjas. If the target is 98% OTIF (on time in full), she’ll hit it or break through the space-time continuum trying. No detour. No fluff. Just results. Greater gender diversity in leadership is linked to enhanced customer satisfaction and better operational outcomes (Catalyst, 2020).

5. Thou Shalt Manage Disruption Like Family Drama at a Holiday Dinner: A woman has survived holiday dinners where two cousins refuse to speak, the dog ate the turkey, and Grandma’s secret recipe mysteriously disappears. So, when the demand forecast goes haywire or production volumes suddenly spike? She’s already got a game plan, a timeout strategy and a no-nonsense attitude. Disruptions? Just like family drama—messy, unpredictable but totally manageable with the right attitude (and her favourite calming chamomile). Women are more likely to display agility and resilience during times of crisis, making them effective disruption managers (Gartner, 2023). 

6. Thou Shalt Unleash thy Inner Feisty: Feisty isn’t a flaw, it’s a supply chain superpower. If your supplier tries a sudden "unforeseen delay," a woman will escalate, negotiate and fight her way to priority loading and a better deal and still say a polite thank you on the way out. Women leaders bring strong negotiation skills and adaptability to supplier engagements (Sajjad et al., 2023). 

7. Thou Shalt Speak Up to Set Things Right: A woman doesn’t argue in fact she “educates”. If your lead time assumptions are flawed or your demand forecast smells like wishful thinking, she’ll say so. With data. With proof. And with a tone that says, “We’re fixing this right now.” Women in leadership are more likely to rely on data and logic over intuition, making them effective decision-makers (Smith, 2016).

8. Thou Shalt Not Abandon a Chase: A woman is persistent. Like “email trail from 2016” persistent. Like “follow-up on a follow-up with a follow-up emoji” persistent. She will get that customs clearance, even if it means waking up at 3 AM to call a sleepy officer in Rotterdam. Persistence and consistency are traits commonly attributed to women in logistics roles, leading to higher task completion and stakeholder engagement (Gartner, 2023). 

9. Thou Shalt Think Three Moves Ahead: A woman not only perfected the art of “I told you so” she trademarked it. She’s used it on her partner for ignoring the GPS and ending up in traffic, and now she’s using it for predicting port congestions and that one supplier who always ghosts right before peak season. Her instincts are sharp, her plans are sharper and her strategy is so on point, you'd think she had tomorrow's headlines in her inbox. Women in supply chain leadership are often stronger in proactive risk management and scenario planning (Smith, 2016).

10. Thou Shalt Not Accept “It’s Always Been Done This Way.”: A woman is not here to repeat history she’s here to rewrite it. Outdated workflows, inefficient routes, archaic systems? Gone. And when she tells you how it should be done? You don’t question it; you cling to your dear life and just do it. Diverse leadership teams are more likely to challenge the status quo and drive innovation (Peterson Institute, 2016).

So dear leaders, if you truly want resilience, efficiency and a fighting chance in this supply chain jungle, remember:

“A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady of the United States

According to Gartner’s 2023 Women in Supply Chain Survey, women now hold 26% of supply chain C-suite roles up from just 19% in 2022. That’s not just progress, it’s momentum.

If the innate traits of a woman are already this powerful, imagine her backed by years of industry exposure, training and on-the-ground experience. She’s not just built for this; she’s built to transform it.

So, Go forth, diversify… and let there be supply chains led by more women. But make sure to hire fairly, remove the gatekeeping and build teams where talent, not gender, leads the way.