Lessons in Leadership, Transformation and Achieving Microsoft’s Partner of the Year

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Lessons in Leadership, Transformation and Achieving Microsoft’s Partner of the Year

Some dive into new things, clueless about what lies ahead. And then there are those who can see success from miles away—people who are playing to win. One of them is Lesley French .

Lesley is Insight’s Director of Professional Services. Knowing she has 30 years of Sales and Leadership experience in Australia and New Zealand, I was more than ecstatic to sit down and revel in her wisdom.

Whether you’re a new or senior Sales Leader, you just can’t possibly miss out on these highlights from our talk.

Here are some of the strategies that brought her success in Insight—from the moment she entered Insight until she helped them become Microsoft’s Australia Partner of the Year:

1. Start with your 30/60/90-day plans

Based on her experience with Insight Enterprises, Lesley shared how new sales leaders can achieve success in their first 90 days in a new organisation. First, you need to gather insights about the company during your interview process. Collect information about the key stakeholders' expectations. Assess the company’s team, drivers, and potential barriers to success. After completing the interview, prepare a 30-, 60, or 90-day plan based on your conversations with the hiring manager.

Actionable tips:

1. Develop a 30/60/90-day plan. Create a detailed plan outlining the actions you will take within the first 30, 60, or 90 days of your tenure. This plan should align with the organisation's expectations and address the identified challenges and goals.
2. Assess the team. Evaluate the existing team's skills, strengths, and areas for development. Identify any gaps in skills or resources you can address so that you can achieve the organisation's goals. Study the team dynamics, each member’s capacities, and undiscovered potential areas for collaboration.
3. Identify drivers and potential barriers. Determine the factors that will drive success, such as available resources, technology, or market opportunities. At the same time, identify and plan to mitigate potential barriers that may impede your progress: limited budgets, resistance to change, or organisational politics.

2. Set your “Leader’s Intent”

Lesley also talked about setting the Leader's Intent in your action plans. Leader’s Intent is a purpose-driven leadership modus operandi. Use it to simplify your team’s vision so that your colleagues can easily understand and execute the said vision.

Actionable tips:

1. Simplify your message to 1-sentence statements. Break down your vision. Avoid jargon or complex language that might confuse your team members.
2. Create a visually appealing org chart. Help team members understand how their daily tasks and responsibilities contribute to the overall vision. Continuously reinforce the link between their work and the team's larger purpose, emphasising the importance of their contributions.
3. Let people ask for clarifications during meetings. Encourage your team members to seek clarification on any uncertainties or doubts. Address questions and concerns promptly to maintain a clear shared understanding of expectations.

3. Be strategic with your Leader’s Intent

To make the leader's intent work better, the vision must be short and clear. Next, be strategic about choosing your clients—they need to be in these industries that yield incredible outcomes and success stories. This, in turn, will create compelling stories for other clients you want to pursue later.

As for your team, make sure there’s full transparency. Communicate your leader’s intent in bite-sized chunks and share it in your direct reports, as well as the next level down. By doing this, the team can easily understand your vision and help you execute it.

Actionable tips:

1. Engage the team. Encourage active participation in your team members by soliciting their input. Ensure that everyone feels involved and invested in the leader's intent.
2. Give ongoing support. Provide the necessary resources and tools to help the team execute the leader's intent effectively. Address any barriers or challenges promptly to maintain the momentum.
3. Regularly evaluate progress. Continuously assess your team’s progress towards the leader's intent and make adjustments as needed. Regularly communicate updates and provide feedback to team members to keep them informed and motivated.

4. Re-communicate your strategy and tactics.

Lesley shares that she used her Leader’s Intent to connect her strategy and tactics. For example, in Lesley’s case, she built her strategy around her leader’s intent, which was to become Microsoft’s official partner in Australia after two to three years. (She achieved that, by the way.)

As for re-communicating the strategy and tactics to the team, Lesley shared that doing quarterly check-ins with the broader team really helped. They also did monthly meetings with direct reports and monthly town halls to measure client success and financial outcomes. For shorter-term goals, they held weekly meetings.

Actionable tips:

1. Establish a clear link. Ensure there is a clear alignment between the overall strategy and the specific tactics being implemented. Each tactic should contribute directly to the achievement of strategic goals and objectives.
2. Set a cadence for communication. Determine a regular cadence for reviewing and recommunicating the connection between strategy and tactics. This could be quarterly, monthly, or weekly, depending on the nature of your goals and the pace of execution.
3. Adjust the cadence for shorter-term goals. For shorter-term goals, consider more frequent meetings such as weekly check-ins. This will ensure you can make timely course corrections and keep the team focused on achieving the desired outcomes.

5. Start with small steps when making big changes

Lesley shared that the sales team in Insight used to face challenges in the early days such as tactical pursuits and insignificant ROI. Because of the lack of clarity and Leader's Intent, Lesley decided to focus on enterprise clients rather than any client. Meanwhile, while the SMC market was not the target market, the company wanted to be known for its references, case studies, and success stories. So, to make significant progress, the team made small changes to focus more on enterprise accounts. This allowed for significant progress in the sales process and the maturity of the sellers.

1. Make incremental changes. Implement small changes in the sales process to align with the new focus. This could involve adjusting prospecting techniques, refining sales pitches, or enhancing customer relationship management strategies. Small changes allow for continuous improvement without overwhelming the sales team.
2. Assess your sales process. Continuously refine the sales process, communication strategies, and alignment with the leader's intent. Seek feedback from the sales team and make necessary adjustments to adapt to evolving market dynamics.
3. Monitor progress and celebrate milestones. Regularly track progress in targeting enterprise clients and achieving desired outcomes. Celebrate milestones and successes along the way to keep the sales team motivated and engaged. Recognise individuals or teams who contribute to building your company’s reputation through references and success stories.

6. Be selective to be effective

Pree shared his favourite book, Essentialism by Greg McKeon. It emphasises the importance of selectiveness in achieving success. By saying no to non-essential tasks, you can achieve significant returns. Focusing on the right accounts, opportunities, and engagement levels can set you up for success, even beyond your 30-90-day pipeline.

Actionable tips:

1. Say no strategically. Learn to say no to non-essential opportunities that don't align with your goals or values. This allows you to focus your time and energy on activities that truly matter and can yield significant returns.
2. Focus on the right accounts. Determine the key clients that have the most potential for success. Invest your resources and efforts into nurturing those relationships.
3. Maintain a long-term perspective. While it's important to focus on immediate tasks and goals, also consider the long-term implications of your actions. Look beyond your short-term pipeline and make decisions that will set you up for sustained success in the future.

7. Focus on your “Big Bet Accounts”

Instead of chasing everyone who’s interested, Lesley shared that focusing on bigger accounts helped them become more productive. The term "Big Bet Accounts" was coined by Lesley to focus on specific industries with a certain revenue size, forming a win-win partnership between Insight and its customers. Lesley’s company, Insight, looks at its top 10 Big Bet Accounts quarterly and tracks its progress in offering tailored solutions. By focusing on these accounts, Lesley believes they can make a difference and encourage continued partnerships.

Actionable tips:

1. Offer customised solution offerings. Develop customised solution offerings that address the unique requirements of each Big Bet Account. Tailor your products, services, or solutions to meet their specific needs and provide maximum value.
2. Track progress regularly. Regularly track and review the progress of your engagement with the Big Bet Accounts. Monitor key performance indicators, such as revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and partnership development, to assess the effectiveness of your approach.
3. Foster continued partnerships. Cultivate strong relationships with the Big Bet Accounts. Continuously engage with key stakeholders, provide exceptional customer service, and deliver on your commitments to encourage continued partnership and loyalty.

8. Be crystal clear with the territory

Lesley shared how she helped her team transition from talking to SMCs to focusing on "Big Bet Accounts.” She said it's crucial to be completely black and white about the territory. This will prevent confusing your sales teammates, which can lead to a loss of focus. That’s why sticking to your guns and addressing pushback is essential.

Lesley also believes that different styles of sellers, such as hunters, farmers, enterprise SMC, and industry-focused sellers, can thrive in different organisations and territories. Nevertheless, she added that the transitioning process doesn't need to happen overnight. However, it's essential to work through each of your teammates' experiences and goals to ensure the right territory is chosen for their careers.

Actionable tips:

1. Recognise different selling styles. Understand that different sales team members may have different selling styles: hunters, farmers, enterprise SMCs, or industry-focused sellers. Assess their strengths and consider how these styles can be leveraged in the context of Big Bet Accounts. Find ways to align their skills and expertise with the new focus.
2. Tailor the transition process. Recognise that the transition may not happen overnight. Work with each team member individually to understand their experiences, goals, and aspirations. Tailor the transition process to ensure that the right territory is chosen for their careers and that they have the necessary support and resources to succeed.
3. Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. Encourage collaboration among team members who are transitioning. Facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions where they can learn from each other's experiences, share best practices, and support one another during the transition period.

John Maxwell said if you are a leader and you turn around and there's no one behind you, then you're just going for a walk. You need people following you.

9. Build a people-focused sales culture

Achieving financial metrics requires a strong team, with great teammates who buy into the leader's intent. Lesley believes that if you invest in the people and the culture, it’s going to pay never-ending dividends.

Actionable tips:

1. Embed culture in daily practices. Integrate the desired culture into daily workflow. Incorporate cultural values into performance evaluations, team meetings, and decision-making processes to ensure that culture becomes embedded in the fabric of the organisation.
2. Invest in professional development. Dedicate time and resources to invest in the professional development and growth of your team members. Provide training, mentorship, and learning opportunities that align with their individual goals and contribute to a positive culture of continuous improvement.
3. Foster open communication. Encourage open and transparent communication within the organisation. Create an environment where team members feel safe and empowered to express their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Actively listen to their input and address their needs and challenges.

Leadership is often caught, not taught. You have to work around some great leaders to be able to see what good looks like and occasionally the odd bad leader to see what you don't wanna be like.

10. Remember the 3 Hs: Hunger, Heart, and Harmony

Insight's corporate values—Hunger, Heart, and Harmony—are great examples of company core values defined by the people within the organisation. Hunger means they are relentless about their passion, drive, and growth. Lesley and her colleagues call each other “Teammates”, fostering a spirit of Heart and unity. Harmony is about diversity and inclusion, which means they support each other to achieve the organisation's goals.

Insight also interviews people for various roles, taking time to discuss the company and culture to ensure transparency and avoid politics.

When people perceive the value they receive from the organisation, it can lead to a mutual value commitment.

Actionable tips:

1. Communicate values and culture during interviews. When interviewing applicants for your company, take the time to discuss your values and culture. Ensure transparency and alignment by sharing information about core values, expectations, and opportunities for growth.
2. Foster transparency and avoid politics. Promote transparency within the organisation to avoid politics and foster a positive work environment. Encourage open communication, information sharing, and collaboration to minimise conflicts.
3. Focus on mutual value commitment. Create an environment where employees perceive the value they receive from the organisation. Provide opportunities for growth, recognition, and a supportive work environment, leading to a mutual commitment between employees and the organisation.

About Lesley French

Lesley French is a seasoned leader who has worked with companies like Cognos, IBM, Microsoft, Microstrategy and Insight Enterprise in VP and Director level roles. Along the way, she has collected a long list of accolades: “Finalist in the ARN Women in ICT award”, “Global Manager of the Year”, 3x “APAC Manager of the Year”, “Largest Global Federal Government Deal of the Year”, “Employee Hall of Fame” and much, much more. She is best known for building a great culture, winning teams, and achieving a high level of retention.

About Pree Sarkar

Pree Sarkar is an Executive Recruiter and Talent Advisor to leaders at start-up and global technology companies. He is the Founder and Chief Advisor at Switch Recruitment, a leading firm in the Asia Pacific Region.

LinkedIn rated him as a Top 1% Recruiter and he is also the #1 Best Selling Author for his book – Switch, Stand Out, Get Noticed and Accelerate your career.

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