If you want to win the minds of your team, you have to learn how to lead with your heart. Meaning, when you work day in and day out with the employees that you so rely on to accomplish the mission, you do so by being caring, sincere, supportive, warm, kind, honest, and with genuine belief in their abilities to accomplish the goal. When you truly believe in someone and you tell it to them, that person will believe in you, and in your abilities to lead and accomplish the mission.
When was the last time that you told an employee that you believe in them? This might make you think a bit. This is because so very few managers and leaders do it. Have you told John, “I know you can do it John… I believe in you and I know you can make this deal happen.” This is the kind of stuff that I am talking about. You are going to have a major positive impact on John by making such statements, and when you do so in a sincere and genuine tone. John is going to feel that deep inside. Making belief statements like this is going to boost John’s confidence and his ability to perform. It is going to cause him to believe more in you for being so supportive and confident in his abilities. Like attracts like.
It takes heart to be the best, and that is what we are striving for here. People don’t want to be spoken down to, or even spoken to, or treated like a number. They want to perform their very best for bosses who would do just the same for them. Who put their best interests first; who look out after them; who tell them to take a half-day when they sense their employee needs it. Leaders who do this will find themselves running top-notch sales teams. And salespeople who experience leaders like this will return with their “heart” and will do anything for them.
I am talking about really putting your heart to use and leading your sales team with it. Love them. Believe in them. Trust in them. Be kind to them. Be supportive in every imaginable way with them. By doing this, you not only get what I mentioned above, but it puts you as a leader so far ahead of all the other managers who just show up and manage by telling people what needs to be done. The “check-the-box” type of manager who thinks they are doing an amazing job and all that they are doing is relaying orders to their team. They lack heart. The employee knows that their manager/leader isn’t really putting their heart in them, or in the job. It will, in ways, reflect in the team’s performance.
If you want to take your team to the top, you have to lead with your heart and show them some loving. Be mindful of this as you go about your day working with your team. There will on occasion be the employee who may try and take advantage of this perceived “softness.” But trust that they are few and far between and you will be able to easily detect these people. The majority however, will do anything to perform their best by giving all of their heart in return.
-Happy Selling!