The food industry is being pushed to its limits. Grocery chains are slashing SKUs. Labor costs are surging. Shelf lives are shortening. Regulatory demands are tightening. And consumers? They’re demanding more—more transparency, more sustainability, more innovation—faster than ever before. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, plant managers, distributors, food manufacturers, and restaurant operators are wrestling with supply chain instability, rising input costs, and constant workforce turnover.
Welcome to 2025, where the pressure is relentless and the margin for error is gone.
If you’re still relying on the same top-down management structures, reactive workflows, and status-quo leadership playbook, you’re not just behind—you’re vulnerable. The leaders who will succeed in this next chapter aren’t the ones with the biggest brands or best tech stacks. They’re the ones who can lead with clarity in chaos, empower teams to make smart decisions fast, and keep everyone aligned as the ground keeps shifting.
The future of the food industry will be won by those who can move like a submarine—disciplined, precise, and agile. That’s where Fast Attack Leadership comes in.
The Biggest Challenges Facing the Food Industry in 2025
1. Supply Chain Disruption Isn’t Slowing Down
The pandemic and geopolitical conflicts have left a permanent scar on food supply chains. What used to be dependable logistics are now marred by port delays, climate events, labor strikes, and escalating shipping costs. According to the Food Institute, real-time tracking, flexible sourcing, and predictive risk models are now essential—not optional—to remain competitive【source】. But even with tools in place, it’s people and processes that make or break a supply chain’s resilience.
2. A Workforce on the Edge
The food and beverage industry is in a full-blown labor crisis. From restaurant kitchens to factory floors, skilled workers are harder to find—and even harder to keep. Turnover is high, burnout is rising, and younger employees are looking for more than just a paycheck. According to LinkedIn and Brightpath Associates, food companies must now compete not just on compensation, but on culture, flexibility, and leadership development【source】.
3. Consumer Behavior Has Changed—Permanently
Customers have shifted. They’re not just buying food—they’re buying alignment with their values. They want health-conscious, sustainably sourced, ethically made products. That means food companies must become more nimble in innovation cycles while still maintaining compliance, safety, and brand integrity. If your internal teams can’t move quickly or collaboratively, you’ll be outrun by those who can.
4. Rising Regulatory and Cost Pressures
From new FDA labeling requirements to local cage-free egg laws and carbon transparency, regulation is reshaping everything from sourcing to packaging. According to Food & Wine, these laws are increasing production costs and squeezing already thin margins【source】. The companies that win will be those who can pivot quickly—without losing quality or team focus.
Why Traditional Leadership Is Failing
In the face of all this pressure, most companies are trying to solve new problems with old playbooks—top-down decision-making, fragmented communication, and rigid org charts. These legacy leadership models slow everything down just when speed, clarity, and trust are needed most.
That’s why a new kind of leadership is required—one built for volatility, shaped by discipline, and fueled by adaptability.
Enter: Fast Attack Leadership
Fast Attack Leadership™ is a five-part leadership framework developed by Marc Koehler, a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and turnaround CEO. With over 35 years of leadership experience in extreme environments, Marc distilled what it takes to build elite-level, high-performance teams—even when the pressure is on and the path forward is unclear.
Unlike abstract leadership theories, Fast Attack is simple, actionable, and scalable. It’s designed for real-world teams—from production crews and quality managers to line cooks and logistics directors—who need to make smart decisions fast, adapt on the fly, and stay aligned in the chaos.
The core pillars include:
- Building connection to the mission
- Teaching smart decision-making at every level
- Empowering rapid, cross-functional problem solving
- Creating a recognition-rich culture that drives engagement
- Establishing habits that support speed, communication, and trust
At the heart of all of it lies a deceptively simple tool: the One Page Purpose Plan™.
Implementing the One Page Purpose Plan™
In an industry where time is tight, margins are thinner, and disruptions are constant, simplicity isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. That’s why one of the most powerful tools in the Fast Attack Leadership system is the One Page Purpose Plan™.
This is not a traditional strategy document that collects dust or disappears into executive folders. It’s a living, breathing blueprint that aligns your entire team—from the warehouse floor to the C-suite—on what matters most, and how to act on it.
At its core, the One Page Purpose Plan™ connects the dots between purpose and performance. It clarifies:
- ✅ Why your company exists (mission)
- ✅ What you stand for (core values)
- ✅ Where you’re going (vision and priorities)
- ✅ How you’ll get there (key actions and metrics)
For food manufacturers, distributors, restaurant groups, or packaging suppliers, this plan becomes your anchor in volatility—the single source of truth that keeps everyone rowing in the same direction, even when the market shifts overnight.
Why the Food Industry Needs It Now
Most food and beverage organizations today are running fast—but not always in the same direction. With departments siloed, field teams firefighting, and leadership stretched thin, misalignment is costing companies dearly. According to McKinsey, companies with highly aligned teams grow revenue 58% faster and are 72% more profitable than their misaligned competitors.
The One Page Purpose Plan™ eliminates the guesswork by:
- Giving frontline employees context for decisions, which reduces bottlenecks and boosts accountability.
- Enabling leaders to course correct quickly when disruptions hit—without holding lengthy meetings or resetting massive strategy decks.
- Offering a repeatable rhythm for leaders to communicate priorities, reinforce values, and develop high-trust teams.
It’s also an engagement tool. In an industry struggling with labor retention, employees are far more likely to stay when they understand the mission and how their work directly contributes to something meaningful. When paired with regular communication habits—like Daily Standups and Monthly 1-on-1s—the One Page Purpose Plan™ fosters connection, motivation, and loyalty.
The Bottom Line: It’s Not Just the Product—It’s the People
The next wave of winners in the food industry won’t be those with the most sophisticated equipment or biggest marketing budgets. It will be those with teams that are aligned, empowered, and ready to execute at speed. Because when the next disruption hits—and it will—your competitive edge won’t come from a system or SKU. It will come from your leadership.
Marc Koehler’s Fast Attack Leadership keynote is the catalyst for that shift. Whether you’re a food producer navigating recalls, a chain operator trying to retain talent, or a CPG brand under pressure to innovate, this keynote delivers a system that turns chaos into clarity, pressure into performance, and silos into synergy.
About Marc Koehler:
Marc Koehler is a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and Turnaround CEO who helps leaders across industries—including food and beverage—build elite, fully aligned, and future-ready teams. He is the creator of Fast Attack Leadership™ and the One Page Purpose Plan™. Learn more at www.marckoehlerspeaks.com.
Sources:
- The Food Institute: Navigating Food Supply Chain Challenges
- Brightpath Associates: State of the Food Industry on LinkedIn
- The Guardian: How COVID Reshaped the Food Industry
- Food & Wine: Egg Prices and Cage-Free Regulations
- McKinsey: Organizational Alignment and Growth