5 Leadership Lessons from a Learning-Obsessed Sales Exec

Over the past 25 years, I have been super fortunate to work with amazing sales and business leaders at companies of all sizes. I felt it was time that I shared those experiences. My hope is that you will enjoy this blog enough to share it with your friends and family, and that they will share their stories back, creating a community of empowered leaders helping one another on their learning journey.

So here goes my first blog on my own site!

5 Leadership Lessons from a Learning-Obsessed Sales Exec

Over the past 8 years as a sales and marketing executive I have averaged 200,000+ miles per year in air travel and 200+ days a year on the road, replaced two 48-page passports full of interesting stamps and visas and lived in 3 different countries. I have negotiated supplier agreements with the largest retailers in Brazil, sold live event mobile applications to one of the worlds largest media companies and delivered mobile advertising campaigns for some of Europe’s biggest brands! But whether I’m in South America, Europe or the U.S. of A, the hallmarks of true leadership and running a successful business have many common threads!

Here is what I have observed about successful businesses and their leaders!

1. They are committed to creating value for customers, which in turn enable profitability and healthy growth.
2. They are committed to employees, engaging with them on a human level and commit real emotional equity to the relationship.
3. They are committed to acting as a coach and a listener for employees, creating an environment that brings the best out of each person.
4. By design, they allow employees to lead because they are in the best position to make decisions on behalf of the company.
5. They embrace the notions of failing fast, correcting course and dusting themselves off—and thereby empower employees to make decisions without fear of humiliation and termination. A company that is wired to take decisions nimbly will outperform a company that is wired to decide by committee.

Last month I was on vacation with with my brother-in-law, the founder and CEO of a very successful garment importer in Brazil. On the road from Haifa to Tel Aviv, I asked him what makes his company so successful. He articulated the following points:

1. A team of problem-solvers is critical. Over the past ten years he has built a staff of leaders who embrace solving customer challenges and building new value for customers.
2. You have to be a truth-sayer.He is always honest with his staff. If someone asks a question he does not know the answer to, he says so—and encourages them to figure it out without fear of failing. This learning process has created incredible trust between my brother-in-law and his team, and it has accelerated his company’s medium- to long-term results.
3. The teaching is in the doing.My brother-in-law works side by side with employees to help them build the empowered decision-making skills required to run the business. I see this trait in successful leaders who scale their employees: When leaders are willing to work with employees in the field, they model behaviors and problem-solving skills that can help those employees make critical decisions in the future.
4. Know your limits.Not every company is destined to be Facebook or GE. Companies should only scale to the size the leader is comfortable (and effective) managing—and that means the leader must understand his/her own capabilities and limitations. A successful company can be measured by the happiness its the founder and employees.

So I’ve shared my top five leadership lessons and those of my brother-in-law…I hope you’ll share yours in the comments.

To wrap up each blog, I am a big fan of sharing (yes, even more sharing!) what I have recently read / listened to / been amazed or inspired by. Here’s today’s list:

• Book: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin. The book was a very good read that gives you a chance to think through why creativity is so critical to success and whether you are making meaningful inputs to the success of your company. I also enjoy Godin’s daily blog posts. He shares daily practical thoughts, ideas and nuggets. If they’re not immediately applicable you, trust me—they will be eventually!
• Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show. I only recently discovered Tim—clearly I am late to the game—but his podcast is now firmly etched into my weekly routine and I listen to it while running. Tim not only hosts some of the most fascinating people on Earth, but his interview skills are ridiculous. By listening to Tim ask questions, you will become a better leader as you will learn what great listening and asking can do to open someone up!
• Magazine: Nathan Chan’s Foundr Magazine. I came across the magazine while listening to Chan’s podcast. I recommend both! The magazine is so well put together and the information is highly relevant for those who are running companies of all sizes or those who aspire to run or start a company! Nathan is a fantastic interviewer as well, and the guests on his show provide great insights into skills and experiences that have driven their success!