What a Soaking-Wet Salesman Taught Me About Affirmative Leadership

At 7:35 a.m. Rick heard a knock at the door. 

He had gotten to work early because he liked having an hour to himself to get ahead of the ball before the employees started showing up. So who was this? 

Curious, Rick opened the door and found a panting, sweating 25-year-old salesman. The bottom half of his suit was totally wet, and Rick didn’t miss the way the young man tried to keep himself composed in spite of his appearance. 

“Hello, Mr. Romani!” He smiled, as he reached for a handshake. “Still good for our appointment?”

Rick was confused, his secretary hadn’t notified him of appointments, but he let the salesman in any way.

“What happened to your clothes?” Rick asked. “Did you swim through a lake to get here?”

Johnny laughed. “The rainstorm last night seemed to have left some large puddles” Johnny said sarcastically. My car got stuck in the middle of a giant puddle, so I climbed out of the sunroof and slid down the side of it. Unfortunately, my phone fell into the water.. I tried drying myself off the best I could, but I didn’t want to be late for our appointment.”

Rick chuckled at the story but then paused. “My secretary didn’t tell me we had confirmed the appointment today.”

Johnny’s face turned redder. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought she had confirmed the appointment but I guess I misheard…” (note that this would be Johnny’s 5th visit to see Rick)

Rick laughed again and told Johnny it was alright. “I have some crazy and embarrassing stories from back when I started my company. You’ve more than earned my time. You want to talk about the proposal you gave me?”

Long story short, Johnny closed the deal. He hadn’t had a very good quarter, so this meant a lot to him—especially because it would be his second biggest sale ever and he was still relatively new to the company. 

What creates this kind of resilience in the workplace? What separates the ones who push through their challenges and succeed, from the ones who give up?

The answer is Johnny’s grit, but as important, his leader Steve.

I was mentoring Steve, who had recently become the company’s sales director.. He was the one who told me this hilarious story about Johnny, and also explained how the real battle for Johnny wasn’t a stuck car or a dead phone. It was in the months leading up to that day.

Johnny was the most junior member of Steve’s team. His track record hadn’t been great recently, more up and down, but Steve continued to work with him and tell him he believed in him. He knew Johnny was giving it his all—he just needed a proactive coach and reassurance. 

During the months Johnny struggled, Steve made sure to frequently and earnestly compliment him on his work ethic and express his confidence in him, both individually and in team meetings, hoping it would keep him motivated until he succeeded.

On the day of Johnny’s big win, Steve was worried because Johnny was late for a very important meeting. He was beginning to wonder when he suddenly got a call from Rick, who he knew was a client Johnny had been working on for a while now.

In the call, Rick told Steve the story of Johnny’s surprise visit, and let him know that Johnny was on his way and couldn’t call because his phone had died.

At the end of the call, Rick said, “Johnny is coming back with some good news. I won’t steal his thunder, but I will say this—If the rest of your organization is like Johnny, then we’ll be doing business for a long time."

Johnny later told his story during a sales team meeting and said that he had pushed to get that contract not only for himself but equally for his team and boss, who he knew always had his back. The transparency and constant communication between them had built trust and confidence which influenced Johnny’s performance.

This story Steve told me highlights a principle I’ve seen often in my 25 years of professional work: overcoming adversity and engagement at work are connected. 

Employees need to feel challenged on something that has meaning in order to perform, and they need to be given the tools and the motivation to overcome the everyday struggles and setbacks.

The workplace, where we spend more than 2,000 hours a year, is an important link and critical factor to supporting one’s push to overcome the struggle. Whether individuals have successes or losses, the way communication happens between a supervisor and the individual needs more than just the “good job” or “you’ll do better next time.” Communication is an art and needs more than words.

This is not to say the employee must accept adversity as a necessity to grow and own overcoming it, but there is an important role for the leader. It’s a mark that separates good companies from great ones. 

Let's break down how a leader can succeed at building up their employees and inspiring them the way that Steve inspired Johnny. 

The Leader’s Role in Building Resilience

Leaders are the linchpins of workplace culture, acting as the bridge between organizational goals and employee wellbeing. Their ability to connect with employees on a personal level can significantly improve resilience. As Winston Churchill famously said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." This quote underscores the importance of maintaining morale and motivation, even in challenging times—and the bar is set by the leader. 

Creating a Culture of Trust and Support

A resilient workplace begins with a culture of trust and support. Leaders can cultivate this in two (2) ways:

— Communicating early and often: Encouraging open dialogue about challenges and successes helps build trust. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their concerns without fear of judgment. Leaders must be adept at providing feedback and instilling a will to succeed in the individual. 

— Know the difference between recognition and affirmation: Recognizing and celebrating effort is important. Regularly acknowledging and appreciating employees' efforts can boost morale and motivation. However, it should go a level deeper than just saying “good job!” 

Recognition focuses on an individual's action. For example, if you’re in sales and your leader praises you on a deal you won or for effectively running a meeting, then your mind becomes attune to being rewarded mostly based on what you do. To drive sustained performance, affirmation must come into play. Affirmation focuses on the person, who we are. That same sales rep that won the deal and who heard “great job,” also hears the important statement after the recognition which can go something like, “I know you worked hard over the last couple of months, late nights, time away from family all because your work ethic is one of the best I’ve seen. We are better off with you here!” (Recognition vs Affirmation). 

Reassuring them days or weeks after drives the continued performance that can propel the individual to excellence which can become contagious driving the organization towards a high performance culture.

The Hopeful Path Forward

The journey to building a resilient workplace isn’t easy, but the rewards are immense. By fostering a transparent and communicative environment, leaders can inspire hope and resilience in their teams. As Meg Whitman once said, "The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of a mistake." This sentiment underscores the importance of leaders taking proactive steps to build resilience through effective communication, even if it involves trial and error.

The leader’s role in building a resilient culture is both challenging and rewarding. By connecting with employees on a deeper level and fostering trust and support, leaders can help create a workforce ready to face the future with grit and determination. As we embrace this journey, let us remember that resilience is not just about bouncing back, but about growing stronger by overcoming each challenge we face.

Thank you for reading,

Chris

You can order my new book 8 Steps to Overcoming Adversity here.

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Chris Greco is a dedicated father, husband, and CEO known for his faith, underdog grit, and perseverance. His boundless energy and core values approach have been instrumental in uniting organizations to achieve goals that once seemed unattainable.

Beyond his professional achievements, Chris serves as a Board Director, advisor to growth-stage companies, volunteer, and keynote speaker. He resides in Kansas City with his wife, two children, and their rescue dog.