I was 18 years old and working as an engineering apprentice.
One day, a buyer asked me to call a supplier and chase a delivery date for some material we were waiting for.
It sounds ridiculous now.
At the time, it felt enormous.
I remember staring at the phone, rehearsing what I was going to say. I was worried I'd get asked a question I couldn't answer. I worried I'd sound inexperienced. I worried I'd make a fool of myself.
The reality?
The supplier gave me an update.
The world carried on.
Nothing dramatic happened.
But I've often looked back on that moment over the years because it taught me something important.
At the time, I thought I was nervous about making a phone call.
I wasn't.
I was nervous about responsibility.
That supplier call represented something bigger than I realised. For the first time, somebody trusted me with a small piece of the supply chain.
A tiny piece.
But a piece nonetheless.
Over the years, those responsibilities grew.
From chasing delivery dates...
To managing inventory.
To leading planning teams.
To presenting in S&OP meetings.
To negotiating contracts.
To making decisions that affected customers, suppliers, colleagues and businesses around the world.
The stakes got higher.
The feeling never completely disappears.
Even today, there are still moments that make me uncomfortable.
New challenges.
New responsibilities.
New decisions.
I've learned that confidence doesn't come before responsibility.
It comes after it.
Most of the things that feel routine to me today once felt intimidating.
Making supplier calls.
Presenting to senior leaders.
Challenging decisions.
Leading meetings.
The only reason they feel normal now is because I did them anyway.
If you're early in your career and something feels uncomfortable, that's often a signal worth paying attention to.
Growth rarely arrives with confidence first.
More often, confidence arrives afterwards.
The supplier call that terrified me turned out to be one of the smallest responsibilities I'd ever have.
At the time, it felt like one of the biggest.
That's usually how growth works.
Signal
Responsibility feels uncomfortable before it feels normal.
Reflection
Most of the things that feel routine to me today once felt intimidating.
Making supplier calls.
Presenting to senior leaders.
Challenging decisions.
Leading meetings.
Confidence didn't arrive first.
Experience created confidence.
Question
What responsibility are you avoiding because it feels uncomfortable today?
Reply and let me know.
The Demand Signal
Lessons from the front line of supply chain.