The Parallel Team Power-Up
Most 1-to-1s between managers and their team members are a wandering waste of time.Sound familiar? Stop trying to build a basketball team. Your sales force is a team of Olympians. Rethink Teamwork for High-Performers Most traditional leadership advice is built around tight-knit, interdependent teams—think basketball. Everyone passes the ball, covers each other, and plays the […]
Why Most 1-to-1s Fail And How to Fix Them in 5 Simple Steps
Most 1-to-1s between managers and their team members are a wandering waste of time.Sound familiar? The Hidden Power of a Well-Run 1-to-1 When I first became a manager, I had five people in the same room—and we just talked. That seemed to work… until it didn’t. Later in my career, I was leading directors across […]
The hidden cost of skipping one-to-one meetings
You’ve got a busy week. Targets to hit, deals to close, fires to fight. Dragons to slay… So, you push back a few one-to-one meetings. Your team understands, right? They’re busy too. No big deal. Until it is. Why skipping one-to-ones is a leadership disaster It might seem like a harmless decision, but when you […]
From top seller to top leader: Mastering 1-to-1s meetings for maximum impact – a guide for sales managers
Most people’s one-to-one meetings with their managers are a wandering waste of time and energy. As a sales manager, you were promoted because you were a great seller. But now? Your success isn’t just about hitting your own targets—it’s about making sure your team hits theirs. And the biggest lever you have? Your one-to-one meetings. […]
11 traits of servant (sales) leaders
How many do you have? (Sessions from the Playbook course listed for fun and profit) 1. Listening Are you all mouth and no trousers? If you talk more than you listen, you’re missing key insights from your team. They know the market, do you? 2. Empathy Empathy first. Show you understand before you get to […]
Why even the best sales leaders promote the wrong people
Here’s a painful truth: we’re promoting the wrong people to sales management roles, and it’s costing us. Even the best sales leaders fall into the trap of promoting top sellers based on their selling skills, their killer numbers, and their ability to build relationships. The assumption? If they’re great at sales, they’ll be great at […]
Juicing up your team: Squeeze out stronger bonds before the storm hits
Is your team ready for the storm? When things get tough—and they will—do you have a team that’s ready to pull together, or will they fall apart under pressure? The strength of your team isn’t built in the boardroom or through endless PowerPoint presentations. It’s built in the moments when people connect as humans, not […]
Secret Weapon of High-Performing Teams: Embracing Conflict
The Secret Weapon of High-Performing Teams: Embracing Conflict Picture this: You’re sitting in yet another mind-numbing meeting, watching your colleagues dance around the elephant in the room. Everyone’s playing nice, afraid to ruffle feathers. Sound familiar? Well, I’m here to tell you that this aversion to conflict might be the very thing holding your team […]
How to say “no” to anyone
What you say “no” to defines you as much as what you say “yes” to. Think about that for a second. Every time you say “yes,” someone else’s goals become your priority. That’s fine—if it aligns with your priorities. But if not? That “yes” is pulling you away from what actually matters to you. When […]
Why most managers unknowingly set their teams up for failure
And how you can avoid the same mistake. If you want to build a team that drives innovation, hits ambitious targets, and stays ahead of the competition, then the key lies in one fundamental decision that every manager must make. If you get this decision right, then you’ll create a powerhouse team that lifts your […]
