At some point in your sales career you might lead a team. The decisions you make regarding your team will determine whether or not you are successful as a team leader. Here are a few strategies to lead a successful team.
1. Choose wisely.
The success of your team is directly impacted by the people you choose. Don't pick people with the same skill set that you have. What is the mission of the team? Identify the skills you need to address the mission. Select people who have the skills you need and not because they're your friends.
If you need a financial expert, it doesn’t matter if your teammates like you. When you can’t read a spreadsheet and make sound financial decisions, you’ve just created a strategy to fail.
2. Plan your meetings.
You need an agenda that’s thoughtfully prepared if you’re taking the time to bring people away from their work. What do you want to accomplish during the meeting? Break it down into components and determine how much time you need for each part. Then call the meeting with start and end times.
3. Be selective.
Don’t try to put 300 pounds of sausage into a 150-pound casing. If you burn people out, they won’t want to work with you again and you will be branded a poor leader. Only invite those who need to attend your meetings. Your focus should be on productivity, not on how many people you can drag away from their work.
4. Run a productive meeting.
I know very few people who love meetings. Most meetings are a colossal waste of time. Commit to leading a meeting that starts and ends on time. You are not getting paid by the word. Allow the time you need to discuss, decide, and then move on. Most participants will be grateful when the meeting is over on time and they’re free to go do their own work.
5. Control your emotions.
Avoid any extreme demonstration of emotion—either positive or negative. As a leader your job is to be perceived as a thoughtful, competent commander. Just remember, there will be times when you will be tested.
You are still the leader whether a team member underperforms, creates a disaster, or leaves you with a huge problem. This means you are responsible for fixing whatever happens. Losing your cool is counterproductive. You don’t think clearly under stress, and your ability to develop thoughtful solutions is hampered when you explode.
Just be sure that if someone does something terribly wrong that they do it only once. You can calmly express your disappointment or feelings of being sabotaged. Then clearly state that you expect the behavior to never be repeated. The next time, more drastic action (like firing) might be needed.
Leading a team is like an ongoing sale. You want your participants to buy into the fact that they will contribute and support the team. You get the credit when your team is successful. I can think of no more important sale.
