It was time for my weekly meeting with our EVP of Sales. Our VP of Sales had been recently let go, and it was time for me to report directly on the progress of my sales team.
I’ll never forget the curve-ball he threw at me towards the end of our meeting. He said, “Dainon…I need you to be a bull in a china shop.” Huh? That request couldn’t be more opposite than who I was…who I am today. In fact, my goal was to lead and inspire in ways completely opposite to this direction.
For a number of weeks, I wrestled with this request. If I wanted to be a great sales leader, must I conduct myself in such a manner? Did I need to be a different person at work than I tried to be at home? Was this the only way to get results as a leader?
In his mind, a leader bulldozed those who got in their way. It was always his way or no way. In fact, many of my sales colleagues loved telling me the story about this particular EVP of Sales inviting the sales team to a “safe-zone” meeting where everyone could express their ideas and frustrations regarding all things sales. However, as a result of some opinions being expressed, some qualified sales talent was let go. Remember, it was advertised to the employees as a “safe-zone.”
This began my thirst for knowledge on leadership qualities, characteristics, and styles. It was amazing. I found story after story, research after research, that clearly showed there were different ways to lead and motivate without being a bully. Some of the common characteristics I found included:
Humility — the ability to provide credit and recognition to everyone involved in the successes, and a willingness to accept responsibility for failure
Communication — the ability to clearly communicate direction, expectations, instructions, and results
Energy — the ability to infuse energy into the team…rally the troops…and get everyone behind the goal at hand
Discipline — the ability to create an environment and culture of discipline with entrepreneurial results
Vision — the ability to see and direct greatness in others