{"id":8184,"date":"2025-09-22T16:35:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T20:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/?p=8184"},"modified":"2026-09-07T16:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:03:43","slug":"critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time Management and Prioritization:\u00a0 <\/strong>Doing More Than Managing Chaos<\/em><\/p>\n

In the first four parts of this series, we laid down the foundation every front-line leader needs. We started with operational knowledge<\/strong><\/a>, because if you don\u2019t understand how your building runs, you\u2019re just managing noise. Then we talked about team management and motivation<\/strong><\/a>, the shift from being the best individual contributor to being the one who helps others succeed. From there, we dug into communication<\/strong><\/a>, not just what you say but how you listen and how you show up. And most recently, we tackled crisis management and problem-solving<\/strong>,<\/a> because in distribution, chaos isn\u2019t the exception; it\u2019s the rule.<\/p>\n

That brings us here: time management and prioritization<\/strong>. If crisis management is about making quick, clear calls under pressure, time management is about not living in crisis mode every day. Your day will always try to steal itself with fire drills, texts, calls, \u201cquick questions,\u201d and shifting priorities. If you don\u2019t take control of your time, the noise will take it for you.<\/p>\n

The Daily Theft of Leadership Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s the truth: Your day will always be full. That\u2019s not leadership, that\u2019s firefighting. Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things, not just the loudest things. A lot of new leaders fall into the trap of believing being busy equals being productive. But ask yourself, busy doing what?<\/em><\/p>\n

Have you ever had one of those days where you ran from start of shift to end of shift, handled 20 problems, but when you looked back, you couldn\u2019t name a single thing that moved the operation forward? That\u2019s the trap.<\/p>\n

Structure Without Slowing Down<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can\u2019t build a perfect calendar in a distribution center, too many variables. But you can build anchors<\/strong> into your day. For me, the three most important are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Start-of-shift plan<\/strong>: Set the targets. Walk the floor. Let the team know the top priorities.<\/li>\n
  2. Mid-shift replan<\/strong>: Adjust. Something will have gone sideways. Re-anchor the team.<\/li>\n
  3. End-of-day reset<\/strong>: What got done, what rolled, what needs a fix for tomorrow?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    That rhythm creates consistency. It also gives your team confidence. They know you\u2019re not just reacting, you\u2019ve got a plan.<\/p>\n

    Do you have your own version of this rhythm? A habit or routine that keeps the day from slipping away?<\/p>\n

    Prioritization: The Hard Choices<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Every leader faces competing demands, corporate emails, production reports, vendor calls, coaching sessions, floor issues. You can\u2019t do it all at once, so you need a decision stack. I use the same one I talked about in crisis management: Safety, Service, Quality, Cost<\/strong>. If two priorities clash, that stack breaks the tie.<\/p>\n

    Example: If you\u2019ve got a customer order to ship and a training session scheduled, ask yourself, can the order wait without hurting service? If not, service takes the lead. But if it can, invest in the training. Training your team prevents the same issue from coming back tomorrow.<\/p>\n

    Beyond Busy: Building Accomplishments That Count<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Here\u2019s the other side of time management most people miss: Solving problems and making efficiency changes require time and effort. That means carving out space to step back from the daily noise and actually fix what\u2019s broken. If you don\u2019t, you\u2019re not leading, you\u2019re just keeping the lights on.<\/p>\n

    Ask yourself: Are you building your resume through busy work, or through measurable accomplishments that add to the bottom line?<\/p>\n

    Busy work looks like putting out the same fires day after day. Accomplishments look like redesigning a process so that fire doesn\u2019t spark again. Busy work keeps you in motion. Accomplishments build your credibility, your career, and your team\u2019s capacity.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s why it matters: When you interview for your next role or when you sit down with your boss for a performance review, nobody asks how many hours you worked or how many emails you answered. They ask: What did you improve? What did you fix? Where did you save money or create value?<\/em> If you can\u2019t answer those questions with specifics, then all your \u201cbusy\u201d days didn\u2019t build much.<\/p>\n

    Stop Fighting Fires: Find the Cause<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    When you find yourself constantly fighting fires, there are underlying problems creating them. It\u2019s your job to make the time to perform some root cause analysis and figure out why the issues are popping up in the first place. Simply asking why<\/em> something is happening, and continuing to ask why<\/em> until you drill down to the real cause, is one of the best ways to solve problems for good.<\/p>\n

    This requires curiosity and communication skills. You can\u2019t just bark questions or assign blame. You\u2019ve got to dig in, involve the right people, and show respect while you investigate. Done well, this approach not only fixes issues but also builds trust with your team. Done poorly, it irritates everyone and adds tension.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s an example from my own experience. We had a recurring problem where items were received, put away, and then later picked at zero, meaning the system showed none available even though we could physically see the product still in the location. When I checked, the issue was clear: The items were in large crates. The receivers didn\u2019t have the time to break them down into individual pieces because their efficiency metrics rewarded speed over accessibility. So the items stayed buried in the crate, showing \u201cavailable\u201d in the system but practically unpickable.<\/p>\n

    By asking why<\/em> step after step, we uncovered the real cause: the efficiency standard itself. Breaking down crates wasn\u2019t being valued, even though the items were high-dollar parts critical to shipping. The result was wasted time, duplicate orders, and frustrated pickers. It took presenting the problem to upper management and showing the true cost to get the standard changed, but once it was, the issue stopped repeating.<\/p>\n

    The lesson is simple: You can\u2019t fix what you don\u2019t fully understand. Root cause analysis forces you to slow down just long enough to make lasting improvements instead of managing the same fire drill every day.<\/p>\n

    Protecting Leader Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    One of the biggest mistakes I see is front-line leaders trying to do everyone else\u2019s job. You\u2019re not there to pick cases or run a forklift all shift. You should know how, and you\u2019ll jump in when needed, but your real value is leading. That means carving out time for coaching, for walking the floor with your eyes open, for solving root problems instead of only chasing symptoms.<\/p>\n

    How do you protect that time? Do you block \u201cno meeting\u201d windows? Do you carry a notebook and track what actually eats your hours? That kind of discipline separates leaders who get buried from leaders who stay in control.<\/p>\n

    A Challenge for You<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    This week, try an experiment: At the end of each day, write down two lists.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Fire drills I handled today<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Things I did to move the operation forward<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      After five days, look at the ratio. If fire drills dominate, you\u2019re managing chaos, not leading through it. That\u2019s your signal to tighten your rhythm, protect more time, and focus on creating measurable accomplishments that outlast the day.<\/p>\n

      Closing Thought<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Anybody can stay busy. Leaders create structure without slowing the team down. They know how to say no, when to re-anchor, and how to make sure their time, and their team\u2019s time, is spent on what actually matters.<\/p>\n

      That\u2019s how you stop just surviving the day and start building days that stack into progress. Next up in the series is safety and compliance awareness.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":7412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"content-type":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_featured_video_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[320,12],"tags":[],"coauthors":[152],"class_list":["post-8184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inventory-supply-chain-management","category-operations"],"yoast_head":"\nCritical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Distribution Strategy Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1435\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Will Quinn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Will Quinn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Will Quinn\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df9e0d6556f035c14f56df120ecff94f\"},\"headline\":\"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1290,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Inventory & Supply Chain Management\",\"Operations\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/\",\"name\":\"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00\",\"description\":\"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1435,\"caption\":\"Part 4: Tech Won\u2019t Lead Your People: You Will\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Distribution Strategy Group\",\"description\":\"Thought Leadership and Software for Wholesale Change Agents\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Distribution Strategy Group\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/Logo.svg\",\"caption\":\"Distribution Strategy Group\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df9e0d6556f035c14f56df120ecff94f\",\"name\":\"Will Quinn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.pngd785fc21423ded39012022a73847a3e0\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.png\",\"caption\":\"Will Quinn\"},\"description\":\"With over 25 years of leadership in supply chain, logistics and global distribution strategy, Will Quinn is a recognized authority in warehousing and distribution operations. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he spent 12 years mastering discipline, adaptability and leadership \u2014 qualities that have fueled his success in managing high-impact distribution networks for companies like Grainger, Coca-Cola, MSC Industrial Supply, WEG Electric and Cintas. As a former global distribution strategist at Infor, he spent four years helping businesses bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world distribution challenges. Will holds a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Elmhurst University.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/distributionstrategy.com\\\/author\\\/will-quinn\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group","description":"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group","og_description":"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.","og_url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/","og_site_name":"Distribution Strategy Group","article_published_time":"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1435,"url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Will Quinn","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Will Quinn","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/"},"author":{"name":"Will Quinn","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/df9e0d6556f035c14f56df120ecff94f"},"headline":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5","datePublished":"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/"},"wordCount":1290,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg","articleSection":["Inventory & Supply Chain Management","Operations"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/","name":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5 - Distribution Strategy Group","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-09-22T20:35:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-07T20:03:43+00:00","description":"Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you\u2019re working on the right things.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_1355204559-scaled-1-1024x574.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1435,"caption":"Part 4: Tech Won\u2019t Lead Your People: You Will"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/2025\/09\/critical-skills-for-front-line-leaders-in-distribution-part-5\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/","name":"Distribution Strategy Group","description":"Thought Leadership and Software for Wholesale Change Agents","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#organization","name":"Distribution Strategy Group","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Logo.svg","caption":"Distribution Strategy Group"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/df9e0d6556f035c14f56df120ecff94f","name":"Will Quinn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.pngd785fc21423ded39012022a73847a3e0","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/will-quinn-300x300-1-120x120.png","caption":"Will Quinn"},"description":"With over 25 years of leadership in supply chain, logistics and global distribution strategy, Will Quinn is a recognized authority in warehousing and distribution operations. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he spent 12 years mastering discipline, adaptability and leadership \u2014 qualities that have fueled his success in managing high-impact distribution networks for companies like Grainger, Coca-Cola, MSC Industrial Supply, WEG Electric and Cintas. As a former global distribution strategist at Infor, he spent four years helping businesses bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world distribution challenges. Will holds a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Elmhurst University.","url":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/author\/will-quinn\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14178,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8184\/revisions\/14178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8184"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distributionstrategy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}