Leading Transformation in a Fast-Paced World

In this Sales Leadership Awakening Podcast episode, our guest is Ryan Thomas, VP of Sales For Elastic, Americas.

Listen to the podcast or read his thoughtful insights on what it takes to lead transformation in a fast-paced world, and in today’s ever changing business environment.

Leadership Maturity: Moving Beyond Transactional Leadership

The significance of empathy in leadership, particularly in the sales profession is important in dealing with the everyday challenges of rejection. Rejection can take a toll on individuals so it’s critical to know when and how to support and guide your team members.

HOWEVER, sales leaders also need to recognize when too much empathy prevents you from making the tough decisions. When employees are not invested in their own success, the effective leader makes the difficult decision to let them go.

The Power of Clarity and Purpose

The need to clearly define what individuals and teams are accountable for is important. Equally important is helping each salesperson understand the WHY behind their goals and how their role supports the achievement of the company’s goals. By connecting each employee’s role to the overall vision and success of the company, leaders can inspire and motivate their teams to achieve greatness. It’s really helping salespeople understand how they make a difference, why they matter.

To achieve this, leaders must tailor their message to each individual or team. The importance of finding the “why” is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Sales leaders must take time to fully explain how their role impacts the company’s success.

Fail Fast: Embrace Mistakes for Growth

Failing fast is a crucial aspect of leadership maturity. Making mistakes is a natural part of the job. Create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks and learning from their failures. The best sales leaders and their teams grow and innovate by acknowledging and learning from mistakes.

Failing fast means recognizing when a decision or strategy is not working and being willing to change course.

Failing fast requires being honest about what is not working.

Failing fast is making the courageous adjustments to drive success, which requires a mindset of continuous improvement.

Conclusion

I encourage you to listen to the entire podcast. Ryan Thomas generously imparts really valuable insights on effective leadership and closing the gap between knowledge and execution.

Good Selling!

Colleen