The 12 Qualities of a Successful Sales Leader
Recent research suggests that the average tenure of a Chief Sales Officer is about 24 months. Why the rapid turnover? In today’s tough market, CEOs demand a return to growth and change. If the sales leader can’t manage change, CEOs change management.
A good economy and business model make all sales leaders look very smart. But with success comes arrogance and reluctance to change. What many sales leaders fail to realize is that, while they run the engine in front of the train, there is a second engine in the back that is pushing the train forward. That second engine is the economy. In good times, the engine pushing in the back makes the leader look and feel good. Arrogant leaders often believe that it is their own steam that creates the forward momentum. When the economy shrinks or when the business model falters, the back engine quits pushing. That is the moment of truth in which the true sales leader will create more steam to move the train forward while poor sales leaders get stuck and get the boot.


