Partnerships NOW: Leadership in Partnering

Welcome back to an exciting new year filled with fresh perspectives and dynamic insights. As we launch into another edition of our Partnerships NOW newsletter we're thrilled to introduce new industry expert contributors who will enrich our exploration of key topics. To kick off this year's journey, we're delving deep into leadership in partnering.

Let's start by dissecting critical facets of leadership, from crafting a strategic vision to cultivating a collaborative culture and skillfully navigating challenges within a partner ecosystem while incorporating a 'Partner First' strategy. Our mission is to equip our readers with a comprehensive toolset, empowering you to engage in meaningful discussions and implement effective leadership strategies within your ecosystems today.

So, grab your cup of coffee and dive into the insights in this edition – because this year promises to be a thrilling ride of discovery and growth!

What are some of the best ways for partner leaders to develop a strategic vision for fostering partnerships to ensure it aligns seamlessly with the organization's overall goals and objectives?

"Partner leaders must transition from revenue-centric approaches to data-driven strategies, leveraging tools like AI for deeper insights. By analyzing partner performance and alignment with organizational objectives using tools like EdisonAI, leaders can prioritize partnerships that drive mutual growth. Fostering a collaborative culture and integrating insights from diverse teams enables leaders to formulate a forward-thinking strategy that optimizes resources and maximizes opportunities for success." - Tom Perry , Sherpa

What steps can effective leaders take to instill a partner-centric culture within their organizations?

"Steps to instill a partner-centric culture can include:

• Acknowledging joint success publicly. When a Co-Sell deal is closed, send a win wire and where appropriate celebrate publicly. Consistent awareness of joint wins that include recognition of everyone involved goes a long way to building a partner-centric mindset.

• Be curious and ask questions. Continuously inquiring about the partner journey and how partners can help drive the company's goals is important to understand. Map out the entire journey from initial engagement to repeat business within your sales process. By understanding their experiences, you can tailor your approach to better serve the partners' needs.

• Create incentives to drive partner-centric behavior. Ensure that sales incentives are mapped to seller goals. By doing so, you create the selling behavior of a partner-centric sell-with approach." - Brian Galicia , Microsoft

"Effective leaders aiming to instill a partner-centric culture within their organizations must start by securing partner-forward buy-in at the highest level. C-suite commitment ensures that the entire company aligns with this cultural shift. The sales organization needs to grasp the value of collaborative efforts with partners, recognizing that co-selling can significantly shorten the sales cycle. Simultaneously, the marketing team must appreciate the potency of co-marketing total solution stories, emphasizing the 'better together' narrative. Engaging product teams is crucial, making them aware that working with technology platforms and ISV partners can enhance solutions, delivering additional use cases for clients and the broader available market. Establishing a cross-organizational team dedicated to the company's partner strategy and progress reporting is pivotal. It ensures consistent communication across departments and facilitates a collective understanding of the benefits – from shorter sales cycles to improved customer journeys. Additionally, conveying to the finance team how partnering can streamline achieving financial goals fosters an organization-wide appreciation for the power of collaboration, reinforcing a partner-centric ideology." - Kristine Stewart , Spur Reply

"Effective leaders begin to cultivate a culture that revolves around partnership by setting an example and communicating the vision clearly. They encourage cross-functional collaboration and create a supportive environment where trust and transparency thrive. Leaders measure partner success, celebrate achievements with partners, and continuously seek feedback for improvement. All of this instills a culture that values partnerships, collaboration, innovation, and organizational success." - Jessica Baker , AchieveUnite

"Effective leaders prioritize instilling a partner-centric culture by harnessing data-driven insights. At Sherpa, we utilize advanced tools like EdisonAI to power conversations, providing valuable insights into partner needs. By leveraging data, leaders can ensure that conversations are tailored, relevant, and focused on adding value to partners. This proactive approach fosters a culture where partner needs are at the forefront of organizational strategies, driving mutual success and growth." - Tom Perry , Sherpa

What role does collaborative decision-making play in successful partnerships, and how can leaders facilitate a decision-making process that involves both internal teams and external partners?

"In my experience, when we talk about a partnership, it's not something that happens when you ink an agreement. What's necessary for liftoff is doing deals together and learning how best to collaborate. To facilitate that, as leaders, we have to look beyond dollars and cents (initially) and take a longer-term view (which can be slightly uncomfortable in our 90-day quarterly sprints). What energizes internal teams and partners alike is for leadership to support a continuous thirst for learning new things, being creative, and finding joy in driving new business together. Successful partnerships, in my experience, are rewarding far beyond technical fit, cultural compatibility, or even financial aspects. The real reward in successful partnerships lies in igniting the collaborative spirit that's inside every human being on this planet." - Roy Schijns , JSG

"Collaborative decision-making is vital in successful partnerships. The key here is knowing which Partners we should focus on and how much we should be working with them. By leveraging data insights, such as understanding partners' potential for growth and investment needs through tools like EdisonAI, we can ensure alignment between internal teams and external partners. This approach enables informed investment decisions and fosters mutually beneficial partnerships, as we invest the right amount of time, in the right activities for the right partners. Driving success for all involved." - Tom Perry , Sherpa

How should experienced partner leaders navigate challenges/conflict and leverage opportunities to enhance the overall performance and growth of their partner ecosystem?

"According to a study by Harvard Business Review, companies that actively manage their partner ecosystems achieve 32% higher revenue growth and 52% higher profit margins than those that don't. This means that partner leaders should take steps to manage their partner ecosystems to identify opportunities for collaboration, such as joint product development or market expansion, and align partner capabilities with organizational objectives.

It is also important to prioritize relationship-building and trust-building activities, recognizing that strong partnerships are foundational to long-term success. According to a report by Deloitte, 61% of executives believe that trust is a critical factor in successful partnerships. Finally, it is important to embrace innovation and experimentation within the ecosystem, as the rapidly evolving technology landscape will require agility to navigate challenges and conflicts while ultimately driving sustainable growth within the partner ecosystem." - Jessica Baker , AchieveUnite

Beyond strategy, how can organizations cultivate a culture where employees at all levels prioritize and champion a 'Partner First' mindset?

"Culture starts at the top of the organization. The continuous actions and communication from leadership will shape a partner-first mindset. It's up to the leaders of the organization to create a 'Partner First' mindset by living this in their actions and decisions. When leaders demonstrate that they prioritize partnerships and show a true commitment to serving their partners' needs, it sets the tone for the rest of the organization. Trust is a cornerstone of successful partnerships, a 'Partner First' mindset is built on integrity and transparency. Leaders create culture, so how they conduct business daily becomes the culture of the organization." - Cassandra Gholston , PartnerTap