𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐧? 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭.

The room gets tense. Everyone wants to be heard….and the best procurement leaders I’ve seen stay quiet.

They’re not trying to sound smart.

They’re trying to make others feel heard.

They don’t interrupt or rush in with a solution.

They listen to understand, not just to reply.

I once attended a supplier meeting where things were going off the rails. 

The deadline and budget were missed. Emotions were up. Everyone was talking over each other.

And my mentor at this time… said nothing.

She just listened. Calm. Focused.

Then finally, she quietly asked one question:

“Before we got stuck on the process, what were we all actually trying to protect?”

It stopped everyone.

The tone changed. The conversation got real.

We left with a path forward because someone in the room knew how to hold the space.

I’ve never forgotten this moment.

Speaking early might get attention.

Speaking with intention earns trust.

In Procurement, influence doesn’t come from dominating the conversation.

It comes from knowing when to speak and what really needs to be said.