SalesHQ

Welcome,  I thought it was high time we had a leadership Group here at Sales HQ!

As I'm sure most of us have seen or experienced poor leadership, and some of the misconceptions as to what an effective leader is. I know I've had my share of ego's, tyrants and dictators. I have to say, that type of leader never really worked for me!

I have also been blessed to experience some of the greatest leadership I could perceive. When I looked back, and compared one style to the other, it was if they weren't even the same possitions, Benevolent has far more appeal than Tyrant.. Not to mention far more effective and result orientaded.

You are invited to share your stories, Both good and bad. Share Ideas and take the " Fear And Loathing " out of leadership!!

Very good idea that has come to fruition. Understanding what success means and how to go about getting it is the object that leaders tend to strive for.

Hi Dano,

Bravo!  This is exactly the type of group we need to have in this forum.  Instead of ego, I welcome a discussion topic that centers on how to improve leadership skills and perhaps how the team works with their leader more effectively.  Great idea.

Cindy

  I wish I could find a manager  that has the right touch with kicking ass to motivate and  then have the right touch to help raise the bar with every person on the staff.It seems we either get one or the other and perhaps one is needed over the other during certain times. I am not to worried about managers filling in the roll of leadership other than to define the goals and strategy of the company. When it is time to listen and find a different way around a problem solve that problem.

When I was laid off in October 2008I was devastated.  I thought, here I am 50, now I am competing with 25 year olds for the same positions.  I started my new job end of Novemer 2008, but that was the longest wait in my entire life.  At first I was hellish mad and then when I started this new job. (Administrative Assistant to VP/inside sales) I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  No fear mongering, knowone listening to your phone conversations to clients, knowone tellig you where you have to stand in the parking lot (so they can watch us on video) during our breaks), no having to clean 7 bathrooms.  At any moment to owner could walk into your office, didn't matter if you were the VP or not he would send you out to the warehouse to wash floors if he wanted.  And I did see this happen often, but I kept to the back woods, so to speak.  It was litteraly like working in a concentration camp. The only thing good was it was about 5 min drive from my home.

At this old workplace I could not believe that the company managers and Pres and VP would ever expect to get great results as they would want from any of us with such cut throat attitudes.  You would go to them with great ideas that would save them money all laid out on paper and they do NOTHING.  They would not ALLOW monthly sales meetings as they considered them a waste of time as we would not be on the phones.  The only people who had say in the company were the father (owner) 2 sons, one Pres. the other VP.  The sons never stood to the father.  I saw it with my own eyes and ears.  The father would be yelling at the two sons, "You dummies, you never do anything right". SO embarassing for them.   ....lol to be continued ....

When managers yell and scream, I shut off my listening skills.  Only a pull aside with a boot to go up my butt at that point would get my attention.  I think that alot of the management is not or has not been trained or ,as I say seasoned , to fit the position in the first place.  Perhaps, they have learned these attitudes from previous employment.  Wouldn't they have left their jobs as well because of they way they themselves were treated by  their upper management staff.  If you show someone how to do something and it's not perfect, that's ok.  If you show them and they fail miserably, that's ok.  We all have different learning processes (learn at different speeds) and it is up to the management to try to figure out what will and won't work for each individual.  We do not live in a perfect world, things are not perfect.  I think that maybe the "time management skills" are lacking with the feared and loathed managers.  They lack finess even if they do get big sales #'s.  I think that consistent revenue is more important than putting stresses on staff to beat this and beat that.  I feel that most management/managers fail because they do not treat their staff as they want to be treated and the results are exactly what they deserve.  Like the old saying goes; "do onto others as you would have them do on to you"   Maybe i am wrong, maybe not. 

Some people are motivated by negative. Fortunately, fear is only a short term motivator. It does not last. A leader customizes his or her style to different personalities. You cannot lead or manage everyone in the same way.

Lori fear. screamer that is only interested in numbers and informs you that you must meet these numbers or your gone.Throws sales staff under the bus during the meetings to try to motivate them or force them to change bu using them as an example to others how not to perform.Micro managing the sales staff.

Fear of losing your job would be a short term motivator. Also, some people are motivated by anxiety to perform out of fear to lose something, e.g. status within the group. I know that right now in the banking industry, alot of people are motivated by fear.

That is exactly my point, Smile. Fear of losing your job motivated you to look elsewhere. Other people try to dramatically improve their performance during that time. Unfortunately, it is being widely used as a short term strategy by many companies in the current environment to enhance performances. This only brings short term results. To sustain solid performance people have to have higher motivators than fear.

Management should be providing parameters and objectives. Then if you miss the mark there is something to talk about. I find many are too "chicken" to commit and that really helps business start to spiral down.

Perhaps it is my work ethics or the way I was brought into the work enviroment. I think in reverse and in almost every position I have held have adhered to this philosphy.

   Items I have always followed and asked of management or owner

 what are the company's goals

 What are the company's goals of me

Where do I need to improve

 When I feel that I am not prepared I ask for more information to become better prepared

 If I do not get something I ask question to finally get it or grasp the strategy

 I come in early and stay late

 What do I neglect and need to become more intune with development

I take it as my responsibility to have a higher goal than the company

I self educate on my own time to become better. It benefits me more than any company I serve

I try to figure out my vaslue to the company and try to increase my value to the company

The company's success and  failure depends on my actions and the actions of the staff

What I do affects every person within that company

 I think of the company as my own company

I take on more responsibility as I grow with each company. I ask for the responsibility.

 I work hard  and I find ways to successfully complete tasks.

    I do not leave it up to another to give me information that is vital to my being.

 Having an interest in what I do I have no surprises. I think having been a business owner and an employee I have a leg up and know what to ask for and when to ask and not afraid to ask. I have never been in fear of losing a job or keeping a job due to having started a business with little to no means in the past and building a successful business.I can always start up again, knowing this allows me the freedom to do the above and take risks with what and how I do my profession. It also allows me to have an inside look at what the business needs to become successful and accomplish my goals.

My last manager was a tyrant. She had that do as i say, not as i do attitude. She would throw a hissy fit, and stomp her foot if someone made a mistake. She had the shot gun management style. Insead of taking the one person aside for miscoduct, she'd have the whole group meet and go over the misconduct, so that everyone got blasted. Everyone in top management saw right through her. I woked with her for 5 years. I ened up with high blood pressure and servere health issues. She was finally let go about 6 months before I was laid off. Needless to say, my blood pressure and my health are back to normal.  

Nice group and perfect discussion. I have definitly had and been both in leadership. One thing you have to remember in being a leader especially in sales is to take a break! I belive that is what can turn good leadership into bad. From personal experience that is my biggest fear, being a bad leader. But you cant be egostistic or excuse my french "think your your shit dont stink" cause it does. Everbody has problems leave them at the door. Plus if you tell your people you are going to do something make sure that you do it. A smile and an understanding  attitude goes a long way. At least it has for me. Oh and dont forget to listen, you might not be able to fix it or even meet middle ground but the fact that you listen will definitly appeal to your people. So thats my fear and loathing in management.

I cannot even imagine working in an environment where my boss frightened or yelled at me.  As a well into middle aged woman, I would certainly raise my eyebrows at any adult who felt they could raise their tone with me and that would likely be the end of that relationship.  Management is not best served up by people who lack the skills and training necessary to provide real leadership and support to a team.  Those who lead by clearing obstacles, finding resources, supporting their team, setting expectations, and providing the assistance necessary for their team to successfully meet those expectations receive loyalty and efficiency from their team.  Those that manage through a series of dominating techniques that leave the staff trembling and scrambling generally find that few reach success with objectives and none develop any loyalty. 

Just the difference here in terminology choices (team vs staff) shows the tonality of the approach differs greatly.  Managers need to remember one thing - what is their goal - power or success.  Power and control are all about an ego trip - success comes from leadership and partnership - a willingness to check ego at the door and just get the job done.

Cindy