Episode 39
Don’t Wait Out Market Chaos—Act Now
When the market tilts without warning, leadership means stepping up even when the chaos wasn’t your fault.
What do you do when geopolitical tension, tariffs, or broken supply chains knock your business off course? In this episode, Maartje van Krieken talks about responding to global market disruptions and why waiting to see how things shake out can cost you more than you think.
Maartje walks through the first move every leader needs to make: building situational awareness. How do you get a clear picture of what’s happening, what you don’t know yet, and where you still have control? Who belongs in the room when you’re wargaming the next steps?
This is a hands-on guide to crisis planning for manufacturing leaders who are dealing with instability they didn’t create but still have to navigate. Maartje shares practical tactics: diversifying your supplier base, reassessing critical products by impact rather than revenue, and running stress tests on cash flow. She also explains how supply chain instability strategy starts with shorter planning cycles, better cross-team communication, and a willingness to move, even if conditions aren’t perfect.
If you’re in the thick of disruption and unsure what to do next, this episode is a clear reminder: momentum matters more than perfection.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 Navigating Market Shifts
02:24 Building Situational Awareness
03:50 Resetting Short-Term Goals
07:06 Strategies for Supply Chain Instability
13:55 Leading with Clarity in Uncertainty
20:26 Steering Through Rough Waters
Links
Connect with Maartje van Krieken:
https://www.thechaosgamesconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maartje/
https://maartjeturnschaosaround.substack.com/
