You are no better than your team. A basketball coach can’t play the game he can only get his/her team to play it better. Like a basketball coach sales leaders need to get their team to play better. A sales leader may THINK they can do it, however that kind of thinking is will doom them to failure.

A leaders job is to scale, not do the work. Leaders are supposed to get more out the group than the individual. It’s about the sum of the parts. One of the key ways for leaders to do this is to actually give a shit about the team.

6 Ways to show you give a shit:

1) Be visible – Don’t be seen only when you need something or asking for help. Be seen, and be visible. Don’t just show up and disappear.
2) Get to know your team – Focus on more than just revenue and pipeline. Get to know their strengths and weaknesses, their career aspirations, and who they are as people. Learn what motivates them and why. Don’t ACT as if you give a shit, actually do.
3) Know EXACTLY what your team does – Know what their day looks like and what processes they have to employ to do their job. Far too often leaders don’t understand what it is their team has to do to actually do their jobs. This a problem. Know what it’s like to walk in your teams shoes. (You might learn, you are a problem not a benefit)
4) Ask questions – Don’t tell your team what to do. Ask them what they think should be done. Help them process and come up with the answer on their own. If your telling your team what to do and how to do it, your doing their job. Don’t do their job.
5) Share – Be open with communication, keep the team abreast of everything that is going on; share ideas, information, thoughts, concerns and experiences. Share stories of success and failure. Sharing keeps the team motivated and engaged.
6) Be accessible – Be approachable, and available at all times. Make sure your team knows where you are, that you are available to them and that it is safe to engage you. If they don’t feel safe with you, it’s over.

Great sales people don’t always make great sales leaders. The ones that do understand the above. Focus on the team.  Leaders win or lose because of the team not because of them.