The idea of a Wartime CEO was made famous by tech leaders like Ben Horowitz and Andy Grove. It’s the kind of leader who steps in when the business is under threat—decisive, bold, and focused on survival and growth at all costs.
This blog is about what that looks like when you’re not running a tech company—but leading a sales team.
There are times in business when you coach, collaborate, and lead with calm. That’s peacetime.
This is not that time.
If you’re a sales leader in today’s market—flat budgets, shrinking demand, fewer leads, distracted buyers—you are not in peacetime. You are in war.
And wartime leadership is a different game.
During peacetime, you can afford to focus on culture, process tweaks, team morale, career development, and slowly scaling what’s already working.
But when the house is on fire, you don’t build a better fire escape plan—you grab the hose.
In wartime, your job as a Director of Sales or VP isn’t to make the team feel good. It’s to make sure the team wins. That means:
You call the plays.
You demand execution.
You remove excuses.
You hold people accountable to numbers.
And you make decisions fast.
Decisiveness is your superpower. Delay is your enemy. Consensus is a luxury.
If your team is missing revenue goals, and you’re still having “check-in” meetings and asking how people “feel about their pipeline,” you’re leading like it’s peacetime—and you’re going to get crushed.
Here’s how you know you’re in war: Revenue is down. Your top reps are in a slump. Your share is slipping. Your salespeople are discouraged. The pipeline is thin. You’re behind budget. You’re running out of time.
This is when the real leaders show up.
A Wartime Sales Leader:
Cares more about outcomes than effort.
Stops managing by gut and starts managing by data.
Doesn’t let process get in the way of performance.
Has the hard conversations early, often, and directly.
Doesn’t “hope” things will turn around—makes them turn around.
Sets the pace, raises the bar, and expects people to rise.
And if someone on your team can't? You replace them. Not because you're cruel, but because the business depends on it.
You won’t win popularity contests.
Some people will say you’re “too intense.”
Let them.
They’ll thank you later when they still have jobs—because you had the guts to do what needed to be done.
Wartime leadership is about clarity. There is no “gray area” when it comes to pipeline coverage, activity expectations, deal progression, or hitting the number.
You either do it, or you don’t.
You either win, or you don’t.
You either make your number, or you don’t.
If you’re behind budget and you’re still trying to motivate your team with birthday cupcakes, team lunches, and inspirational quotes, let me say it straight: You're not helping.
What your team needs right now is direction, focus, and urgency.
Set clear revenue goals.
Track every metric that matters.
Push your team harder.
Coach more often.
Sell side-by-side when needed.
Cut distractions.
Eliminate low producers.
Double-down on top performers.
Lead. Like it’s war. Because it is.