You’ve got a good team. The results are solid. You genuinely like one another. Trust is good too. And yet. You have a feeling you’re capable of more. What’s missing? If you’re fortunate to be working on a good team, it can be tempting to keep doing what you’ve always done. But Marshall Goldsmith’s advice for leaders is true for teams too, “What got you here, might not get you there.”

If you’ve followed my work for any period of time, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of goal setting, praising progress, lifelong learning, and continual growth. It’s important to have a compelling vision and satisfying to live a purpose-driven life. But sometimes we go overboard on the “driven” part. That’s when things get out of whack. Our stress levels go up, the quality of our sleep goes down

If you’ve ever been in sales, you know first-hand that one of the most powerful ways to go from good to great is having a strong sales manager. The best sales managers are active listeners and innovative thinkers. They know how to inspire and motivate their teams. So, is there a secret that only these superstar managers know?

You’ve just tipped over halftime in 2023. How will your year end up? A lot of the next five and a half months, especially Q4, depends on how you motivate sellers now – deep in the summer grind. There are numerous diverse ways to encourage and motivate salespeople now. Here are some examples that might be helpful so you have more options.

Judgment is the ability to make good decisions. It’s a complex phenomenon requiring the ability to observe and understand things, draw upon knowledge and experience, form an opinion, and reach a decision. It entails discerning, comparing, and making considered decisions.

As a kid one summer, I captured grasshoppers in a glass jar. I was transfixed watching the mechanics of them jump. I remember the ping as they flung themselves against the tin lid I’d punched holes in so they could breathe. Before going to bed, not wanting to wake up to a jarful of dead grasshoppers, I removed the lid, fully expecting them to hop to freedom. But the oddest thing happened. They could pop right out, but they only jumped as high as the lid had been before I removed it. I finally had to dump them from the jar to save their lives.

I hear this a lot from business leaders — and it’s always kind of sheepish: “Chris, how do we actually make a sales process?” And I get it. Sales processes don’t just happen. They don’t just appear out of thin air. Instead, growing companies realize that they don’t actually have a sales process in place, so they either let their sales reps do their own thing — or they cobble something together that pleases no one.

Whether you are a seasoned executive or simply starting your professional journey, investing in communication training is an investment in yourself that will pay dividends throughout your career. Embrace the power of effective communication and watch as your professional opportunities flourish.

Creativity and innovation are crucial for driving growth and staying competitive in today’s rapidly evolving world. Most people would say that’s true especially for companies that manufacture products. But it’s true for all organizations; for profit companies, nonprofit organizations and government entities.

When you are building a sales force or a sales team, you will hire people that have been trained by other sales organizations. The range of different sales training will go from no training to a one-day sales training to a professional level of training that included a development plan and coaching. One of the challenges of achieving your sales goals is the variation of competencies and skills across your sales force.

Recognize the Humanity in Others as You Navigate Workplace Conflict To effectively navigate workplace conflict, prioritize connecting with the human at the center of it all. Begin by acknowledging the situation and expressing your optimism about finding a resolution collaboratively.

As a leader, it’s important to constantly work on your development and growth in order to effectively guide and inspire your team. However, there may be certain behaviors or habits that are holding you back from reaching your full potential and you might not even be aware of it. Here are few common things that can hinder your leadership development:

As a sales manager, I appreciated the value of curiosity in building relationships with prospects and coaching my team. Curiosity is an essential aspect of human nature that drives us to explore, learn, and grow. Whether seeking knowledge about the world around us or trying to understand other people’s thoughts and emotions, curiosity plays a vital role in our personal and professional development.

As a former sales manager and c-suite executive leader, and now working alongside sales managers to help them grow their teams, I know that a sales management career can really make an impact. Sales managers are your frontline leaders. They work with their teams to focus on goals and objectives for the organization. Sales managers direct expectations, show people and instruct people in ways to achieve the company goals. Being a sales manager is extremely trackable and measurable.

“I like to point out strengths that my coworker brings to the table as part of the introduction to build confidence and credibility right away.” Have you taken your boss on a sales call recently? You could build two relationships simultaneously—one with your manager and a better one with the client. The more trust between you and the manager, the more opportunities may come your way. And your client may be impressed with the expert “team” you put in front of them to solve their problems.