If there’s too much anxiety, disappointment, disconnection, blame and short-term thinking within your sales organization – or within your own personal sales career – you’re not alone. Through our group workshops and executive coaching with sales leaders we see the condition up close and in great detail every day. But the answer isn’t better management or oversight or organization.
It’s leadership. From everyone.
I’ve been speaking extensively of late about what I call the Pivot to Leadership. It’s a challenge and a calling to the people on your team – and to yourself – that goes like this.
If you’re privileged to have a sales career in this business, you have not one job but two. Your first role is of course to advance the sale and build successful, recurring revenue. Your second job is leadership, and it’s not negotiable. This Pivot to Leadership challenges the seller to become a more important presence in the organization… to be become a catalyst and connector… an agent of empowerment. Issue or accept the Pivot to Leadership challenge today based on the following:
- As a leader, you empower and elevate the work of others.
- You go first, leading by example.
- You eat last. Leaders make legitimate sacrifices for the good of the organization.
- Leaders take ownership, which is the opposite of assigning blame.
- As a leader, you bring diversity and depth to your work. You’re working two to three quarters into the future and you’re expanding the number and type of customers you speak to.
- Leaders are just as professional and dedicated working with their colleagues as they are calling on their customers.
- Leaders are patient, intentional builders. They build foundations for successful business, relationships, the careers of others and – ultimately – they build legacies.
What an important mirror to look into every day. Am I being a leader? What a powerful and elevating challenge for a manager to issue. Read the list: Tell me how you’ve practiced leadership this quarter?
Imagine the excellence, culture and sustainability of your organization with your sellers – and others! – working to live up to these standards. As an individual, imagine your how you’ll feel about your career and the legacy you’ll build if you accept the challenge.
Like so many transformative steps, the pivot to leadership is a choice. I hope it’s one you’ll make today, for your organization and for yourself.
We are proud to offer transformative sales workshops both in-person and serially over Zoom and other screen share platforms. Whether you're looking to connect and empower your team IRL or across time zones continents, we've got you. Just reach out.
Original illustration by Eric Sands.
