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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Increase Revenue by Investing in You

DateWednesday, January 21, 2015 at 4:09PM

My daughter was complaining because so many apps she wanted wouldn’t work on her i4..  To get them to run she needed to upgrade  to an  i5 and then keep up to date with new software releases. Most of us are familiar with this, and update our software regularly. We know that if we want improved performance, then we have to update our software.  Our brain is like an operating system, it needs to be updated regularly so we can improve our performance.    As we strive to achieve more we need to acquire the knowledge, skills and the ability to think and perform differently.  Every year in business we aim to increase revenue, increase market share, increase margin etc etc. We put plans in place and strive to achieve targets. What really holds us back is not just what we do, it is how we habitually think, our beliefs in what is possible (or not) and how this translates into our actions. A lot of these habits and beliefs are unconscious or we are unconscious of the impact they are having on our performance. So though we strive to increase results, we are limited by our own beliefs; we get in our own way.  We are limited by the operating system we are using. We can continue as we are and probably make slow incremental progress, or we can update our operating system and accelerate our development and accelerate the results we achieve.  Our rate of development must at a minimum keep pace with the rate of change in our environment. Just image what more we can achieve when we upgrade our operating system.  As business Leaders it is critical to the success and growth of our business to continually update our operating system. Effective leadership drives business results.

 

 A major study of 486 mangers across a wide range of business showed that 37.6% of the variation in perceived business performance can be attributed to the leaders’ effectiveness.  This means that regardless of how much effort we put into our strategy and having the best products, service and systems the real untapped and often overlooked potential is the effectiveness of our leaders.  Investing in the development of leaders has a multiplying effect as they in turn lift the effectiveness of their teams. 

So what are the most critical competencies for sales leadership effectiveness? The most effective sales leaders need to be high on achieving results, balanced with how they relate to others. They have high levels of self awareness, are authentic in the way they act and have a perspective that is broader than just their unit, business or industry. Many sales leaders were promoted to the role because they were the best sales person. Ironically the very characteristics that helped them to be a successful sales person often get in the way of them being an effective sales leader.  Top sales people, who are driven, ambitious, operate independently, and take note of detail may become a controlling manager, who leads by reputation and example as opposed fostering team play, collaborating and mentoring others.  A sales person who relies on pleasing customers can become a manager who cannot make the tough calls. Both mangers will not harness the full potential of their team.

 

When we are promoted it is a god time to update our operating system. Existing leaders need to ensure they develop at least to keep pace with change just to stay still.  A well designed personal development program over a period of time will deliver increased

AuthorSue Hornblow | CommentPost a Comment | Reference107 References |
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