The Sales Dodo: What Is Leadership?
July 24, 2008
People are often told to "be a leader," but what does that mean? How do people know how to act as a leader when no one defines it for them? There is a simple mantra that defines leadership.
By Lee B. Salz
The other day my nine-year old daughter and two sons (seven and five years old respectively) were playing with neighborhood friends. Out of the blue, my two sons came running home upset because the girls in the group didn't want to play with them. I was puzzled. Wasn't my daughter also in the group? Why didn't she defend her brothers?
I sat down with my daughter and asked her about what had occurred. My daughter acknowledged that she did not agree with the group's decision to not allow the boys to play with the girls. She thought it was wrong, but she did not say anything because the popular feeling was that the boys should leave. She didn’t know what to do.
At times, my wife and I talk with our children about being a leader instead of a follower. Great advice, but if you don't know what leadership is all about, how can you put it in play?
The Definition of Leadership
I've read many books, articles, and journals on the subject of leadership and they offer wonderful ideas about being an effective leader. However, I have not found any that made the following statement: Leadership is about having the self-confidence to do what is right even when it is not popular.
The scenario that I saw play out with my daughter reminds me of a commonplace business occurrence. How often are business people told to show leadership skills, but not taught what that means? You can yell to people from the highest mountaintop to be leaders, but if you don't help them to understand what leadership means, what ability do they have to change their behavior?
Not long ago, Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball, was faced with declining game attendance and was tasked with reversing the trend. One idea he had was to enact inter-league play where national and American league teams would play against each other during the season (historically, the two leagues only played one another in the World Series). Most baseball fans were appalled. They considered this move to be blasphemous. Yet, Bud Selig was unphased and put the program in place, and now inter-league play is a hit. Where would baseball be today if Bud Selig let the popular perspective change his decision?
A Mantra not Just for Managers
Salespeople allow "popular" to win versus "right," too. Imagine a sales person has been working with a client for three years. He has gotten to personally know the people in the account. Now it is time for an account review. A manager inserts himself into the process and informs the salesperson of what is going to be done in that meeting. The salesperson listens to the strategy and knows that it is not right for the account. If anything, it will jeopardize the relationship and cause the decision-maker to look foolish. However, the salesperson says nothing to the manager because, after all, he is the boss.
Truth be told, I've made a similar mistake myself. Years ago, when I ran sales for a mid-sized company, my manager had me terminate the employment of a salesperson (for performance) prematurely. This employee had not gone through traditional progressive discipline procedures, however, the COO of the company had decided that this salesperson was not going to be successful in the company and should be let go immediately. While I agreed that the salesperson was not going to be successful, I disagreed with the timing and the methodology. I pushed back a little, but not hard enough. I should not have let popular win over right.
The mantra is not about arrogance. It does not operate under the auspice that you know everything, and thus, your decision is always the right one. Nor is the mantra an advocation for insubordination. Yes, that sales person was correct. His manager is the boss. However, managers don't always have all of the necessary information to make an informed, educated decision. Managers count on their employees to share with them, in a diplomatic manner, information that will help them make the right choices. Few managers try to make decisions without the counsel of others. However, not enough employees step up and raise their concerns early in the process.
Creating Culture
Companies need to create a culture where it is not only acceptable, but encouraged, for employees to raise their hand before the "ship hits the iceberg." Growth comes from people challenging the status quo and feeling confident that they can present ideas, in contradiction to the popular, without retribution. At the same time, companies should show intolerance for those who fail to raise their hand and say, "Yup, I knew we would sink when we hit the iceberg. I knew it all along." If it is culturally encouraged for employees to participate in decision-making, the company is better positioned to be successful. Oftentimes, the best ideas are found by talking with those who do the work every day. People need to feel empowered to share what they feel is right.
Lee B. Salz is the CEO of Business Expert Webinars, President of Sales Dodo, and author of "Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager." Known as "The Sales Dodo," Lee specializes in helping companies and their sales organizations adapt and thrive in the ever-changing world of business. He is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine and the host of the Internet radio show, "Secrets of Business Gurus." Look for Lee's new book in 2009 titled, "The Sales Marriage: How to Hire the Right Sales People." Lee can be reached via email at lsalz@salesdodo.com, or by phone at 763.416.4321.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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