STEP 2:
ASSESS CURRENT SALES LEADERSHIP RANKS
Using your new profile of success, take a look at your existing leaders to see how prepared they are to move forward. By identifying strengths and weaknesses against the profile, you’ll see where the gaps are between what’s required and what’s available. Keep in mind that the gaps you find may not be true weaknesses in ability, but simply areas that have not been trained or demonstrated. Provide training in these areas and reevaluate the group. Then you’ll truly know which gaps exist.
STEP 3: LOOK FOR FUTURE LEADERS
Start by taking what the expert calls the 30,000-foot look: assessing everyone in the sales organization for the fol- lowing five traits. With each trait, you’ll narrow your field a little further. 1. Who are the good performers? They don’t have to be the best, but they need to consistently meet their numbers.
2. Who has the promise of leadership? In other words, you’re looking for people who, in the absence of a leader, step up to take a leadership role. They enable and empower people so others feel bigger and better about themselves after having worked with them.
3. Who lives the culture and values of the company? 4. Who is constantly reinventing themselves? You need to find people who are receptive to feedback and are always looking to get better.
5. Who can live with the complexity, ambiguity, and faster pace of a manager?
Once you’ve got your short list, sit down individually with every person on the list to let them know they’ve been identified as potential future leaders. Then create a personalized development plan for them so they’re ready to step into leadership positions when they’re offered. The development plan should match the profile of success you developed in Step 1, so any knowledge gaps are filled in by the time the person is promoted. “Organizations will say it’s expensive to develop sales leaders before they take over as leaders,” concludes the expert. “But it’s more expensive to develop them when they’re already in a position to impact customers.”
What Factors Influence Your Leadership Style? D
r. Ken Blanchard once said that managers should determine their leadership style based on the level of the people they supervise. In response, he was asked, “What other factors influence a manager’s style of leadership?” Blanchard answered, “Certainly, the people being supervised are the key variable in determining a leadership style – no question about it: Without people there would be no leadership necessary. However, recognizing we work in a world that doesn’t operate exactly the same as situations in text- books, there are other variables that impact managerial style.” Blanchard explained that one of these important factors is the style and expectation of the boss. If your boss is a very directive manager and expects you to be the same, it may be difficult or impossible for you to engage in a coaching or supportive leadership style without getting your- self into hot water.
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Your associates are another mod- erating influence that can potentially change your leadership style. In some organizations, it’s expected that all managers on a given level will oper- ate in pretty much the same manner. If you should get out of step with your peers, they will become upset. You would be a threat to the security of the organization. Hence you will get pressure to return to the group norms. Corporate personality or organiza- tional culture is yet another variable. Or- ganizations have definite characteristics – just like people do. The management styles available to you in a military orga- nization or bureaucratic office will be far different from those in a flower shop or the creative director’s department of a large advertising agency. Clearly, your management style isn’t going to be like a drill sergeant’s when you’re working with PTA volunteers. Time also influences management style. If time is available, a good manager will use it to help subordi-
nates develop skills and commitment. However, when things get wild around the office, a manager may not have enough time to employ the “coach- ing” style of management, which demands considerable time for one- on-one involvement. To determine the best and most
realistic leadership style, a savvy man- ager will diagnose his or her situation based on several criteria: • First, when deciding upon a man- agement style, always consider the people you are responsible for managing.
• After they are sized up, study the management style of the boss as well as others in the organization.
• Consider the personality of the company. Any management style must be compatible with the organization itself.
• Think about environmental fac- tors that might influence your management style.
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