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/