The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

As a leader, your time is precious. You're pulled in a million different directions, trying to drive your organization forward while also striving for some semblance of work-life balance.

The national bestseller "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss has captivated readers with its bold promise of escaping the daily 9-5 grind. While some of the book's ideas around minimal work may be controversial, it contains several productivity gems that every successful executive should embrace.

Think for a minute about the very best leader you ever had. Then, think about the worst.

Likely, you have definite feelings on both. How did you feel when you moved on from the job with that very best leader?

You probably had second thoughts and wondered if you could have made that position work for you despite changing circumstances.

What about that worst manager? You probably walked away without a backward glance, relieved to never see them again.

The book "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek offers profound insights into what it truly means to be a great leader. It challenges traditional notions of hierarchy, rank, and privilege and instead emphasizes the importance of building trust, safety, and purpose within a team.

Here are seven key lessons from the book.

Imagine for a moment that you are the sales leader for a national media company. Picture your sales team and imagine the following scenario….

Your team is made up of 100 percent sales superstars who knock it out of the park and raise the bar day after day, week after week, month after month. Their potential for success is unlimited.

If that scenario sounds like a dream to you instead of a reality, you are in the majority.

Our just-released fifth annual Media Sales Report found that 76% of sales managers don’t consider most of their teams to be superstars.

We've all felt the guilt and anxiety that comes from overcommitting or saying yes when we really wanted to say no. Whether due to pressure from others, difficulty setting boundaries, or problems prioritizing self-care, many of us end up overloaded, overwhelmed, and stretched too thin.

In her book "The Power of Saying No," organizational psychologist Dr. Vanessa Patrick provides research-backed advice on the value of refusal and how to say no with grace and purpose. Through 15 key lessons, she empowers readers to set healthy boundaries and live more focused, intentional, fulfilling lives.

In the intricate dance of human interaction, understanding the underlying psychology that governs why people say "yes" can be a powerful tool.

Robert B. Cialdini's groundbreaking work, "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," dives deep into the psychological principles that drive decision-making and provides invaluable insights on ethical persuasion.

Here are six compelling lessons from the book that can be applied across various contexts and industries.

Depending on the organization, the person leading a sales team may be called a manager, a leader, or a coach.

For many people leading a team and for their team members, the name doesn’t matter because the job description is the same. They are the person responsible for guiding their team toward hitting their sales goals.

But the difference between managing and coaching has become a hot-button issue. Why? Because Gen Z cares, and they are set to become the dominant group in the work force by 2025.

There is a fundamental yet often misconstrued aspect of sales leadership that gets a lot of airtime: the fine line between managing and coaching. At The Center for Sales Strategy, we understand the pivotal role that effective leadership plays in propelling sales teams toward success.

Managing and coaching are two distinct, albeit interconnected, approaches that leaders employ to guide their teams. But what sets them apart?

Developing sales leaders is not just about their individual growth; it’s the secret to the continued success of the organization.

Sales leaders play a pivotal role in coaching teams, driving revenue, and creating a positive culture. With all of this responsibility, it is often difficult for leaders to find time to focus on their own development. Yet, there are many proven benefits to providing leaders with growth opportunities, including increased productivity and performance, better recruitment and retention, improved decision making, and better customer relationships.

Here are three ways to grow leaders and make a positive impact on your sales organization.

2024 is here, and we can already point to one major trend – the big return to the office. 

In a new survey by Korn Ferry, 99% of more than 500 US C-suite and business leaders said that they expect employees in the office at least one day a week, a big change from last year when that number was just 66%.