A Leader's Focus
Traits to become better leaders in life, and business
Hey there friends,
This weekly newsletter is and always has been geared towards “current or aspiring sales leaders”.
And sometimes (most of the time), I wonder what the balance between “sales leadership” vs. “genuine team/company leadership” should look like.
These past few weeks had me thinking about leadership in general and figured no time better than the present to make this week’s focus just that: a Leader’s Focus.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Greg McKeown talks about Leadership Essentials and how the acronym FCS can be a key factor for us as a leader in life, and business.
Plus - don’t miss a bit more long-winded snippets as we learn from others on what to focus on to become even better leaders.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- subscribe or share it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
Leadership Essentials
Essentialism by Greg McKeown is one of my favorite books. I am far from perfect at implementing the practices he writes about, but the concepts and studies he puts forth resonate with me.
His podcast is one of my favorite non-sales podcasts. It’s no surprise that this podcast more often than not translates into more aspects of my life- especially in my career as a sales leader in Saas.
This particular podcast was especially intriguing as he talks about Leadership Essentials. Specific things you can do right now to be more attentive, more efficient, and more essentialist in your leadership.
Greg outlines Linkedin CEO, Jeff Weiner’s approach to leadership by using the acronym for FOCUS, (or FCS):
F: Fewer things done better
C: Communicating the right information to the right people at the right time
S: Speed and quality of decision-making.
I absolutely love this (I’m always a sucker for a good acronym anyway) and will remember this one in my daily.
Greg talks about his research on leadership in the corporate world and how essentialism resonates in all aspects of our lives - including leadership.
“Essentialism as a way of thinking AND acting is as relevant to the way we lead companies and teams, as it is to the way we lead our lives”
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🌊 Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer whose ship was locked in the ice in early 1915 and then sunk, leaving him and his 27 men to fight for survival thousands of miles from civilization. They had few material resources to rely on, save for three lifeboats, canned goods, and some stores they salvaged from the vessel. But the most important asset in surviving more than 18 months on the ice was Shackleton’s leadership, particularly the collective determination he fostered in his men to beat the odds and get home safely. How did the explorer do this? He focused on the engagement, outlook, and cohesion of the team.
👉 McKinsey says: In many ways, there is only one question any manager need ask: How do I make my team members’ lives easier—physically, cognitively, and emotionally? Research shows that this “servant leader” mentality and disposition enhances both team performance and satisfaction. Moreover, studies also suggest that managers themselves are happier and find their roles more meaningful when they feel they are helping other people.
🤖 David Cancel cares about leadership. In this podcast he talks about his tactics, strategies, and structure:
People will make decisions that you disagree with - all the time. But that's okay. "Failure isn't the issue - the issue is if we don't learn from it".
Learn how David manages his meeting structure and process even though he's "Anti-meetings" (prefers the term "Rituals" instead...)
Why and how he holds Skip-Level Meetings: Random 1-1 Skips, Random Group Skips, not in front of a computer (walks outside etc.)
He prefers to manage Drift in a "zoom-out" level and “zooms in” on an individual level. “Getting to know the individual personally is better than managing by sheer metrics”.
His advice for leaders: Learn from other people. Study psychology first.
🧠 Mindset
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings, and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights, and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
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