Leadership
Lessons from athletes, business executives, entrepreneurs on leadership
Hello friends -
Most weeks, this newsletter seems to focus on how we as sales leaders can get better. Anything from sales process, strategy, tips, tactics - you name it - I’ve probably included some thoughts and content on it.
Every so often however, I pivot a bit and this week is one of those times. Still pertinent to us as sales leaders is the ability to remove the sales from sales leadership.
This week we learn from others on how to lead. How to improve as a leader -no matter where you may be leading - we’ll save the sales focused content for another week.
So think about one of the best leaders you’ve had the pleasure to work with.
What stood out? What can you emulate? (I’d sincerely love to hear from you - just reply to this email)
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
David Novak compiled a “Best Of” podcast from last year with his own snippets from talking with leaders in sports, business and life.
Martin Moore What can you expect to change when you become a leader, and what do you need to do to adapt to those changes?
Plus a collection of snippets with lessons on leadership from top athletes, business executives, entrepreneurs, and more.
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
How Leaders Lead
I’ve shared a podcast or two from David Novak before, but considering the topic this week, this one is coming in clutch.
David compiled a “Best Of” from last year with his own snippets from talking with leaders in sports, business and life. You’re going to learn about how to react to overwhelming and scary situations with focus, confidence, planning, and communication.
Listen and learn:
Tom Brady’s model for clear, current communication with teammates
Niren Chaudhary’s process for bringing clarity and purpose to overwhelming situations
Indra Nooyi’s advice for balancing work and home life
Kara Goldin’s conviction about how to escape the bondage of fear in business
Andy Roddick’s ritual for staying focused to play point after point in tennis without losing it
Marvin Ellison’s story about learning to stand out as himself rather than blend in as someone else
5 Things That Change When You Become a Leader
What can you expect to change when you become a leader, and what do you need to do to adapt to those changes?
Martin Moore pens an excellent guide for those making the jump from Individual Contributor to leadership.
In terms of what will change, you can expect five major shifts:
Your peers are no longer your friends
You are now responsible for everyone (not just yourself)
You will be entrusted with more resources
Your contributions to the company will expand
Your goals need to be aligned with those of senior management.
Martin then goes on to explain that to successfully adapt to these changes you need to:
Deliver value. Your job is to identify and communicate what value means and deliver it.
Handle conflict. Adopt the mantra of respect before popularity.
Build resilience. Facing and overcoming adversity builds resilience, so don’t shy away from it.
Work at the right level. You are at the top of that pyramid now, meaning your job is to teach — not to do.
Master ambiguity. Your job is to sit comfortably in ambiguity, and translate it into certainty for your people.
Make great decisions. Act decisively, and quickly, and you’ll create a culture of agility and excellence on your team.
Drive accountability. Be accountable for everything your team does, and hold each individual to account for what they need to deliver.
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🇺🇦 Considering the horrible circumstance in Ukraine right now, I’m absolutely enthralled and impressed with the lessons of leadership from the former Comedian /Actor to now President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. This amazing article gives the background, upbringing, and mindset on how he’s become the heroic leader of his country - and inspiration to the entire world.
⚡️Evan Carmichael says leadership is actually very simple and compiles excerpts on what makes a great leader from Tony Robbins, Simon Sinek, Kobe Bryant, Jocko Willink, Steve Jobs and more…
🧑🏫 Michael Schneider writes in Inc that only 10 percent of people are natural leaders. The rest of us have to work on developing these 3 qualities - 1: Growth Mindset, 2: Creating Safe Environments, 3: Creating clarity and energizing teams.
🔋Empathy, Vulnerability, Patience, Humility, Generosity. According to Mogul CEO, Tiffany Pham, these are the top 5 Leadership skills you need to empower your team.
🐘Who leads the leaders? Who did Lincoln look to as a mentor? What about Bill Gates, Tim Ferris, and Mark Zuckerberg? Dusting off this post from a couple years ago about leaders today - and who they looked to as mentors and leaders themselves.
🧠 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.
Are you a VP, Director, thought leader, or content producer in the SaaS space? We’d love to have you contribute. Just reply to this email and I’ll be in touch.
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