Discipline = the strength of will to NOT take the easy way and to succeed instead!
Being a leader isn’t an easy path to choose. You are going to have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
I was working with a front line management team recently who said they wanted their sales people to look beyond this month’s business. To be strategic in their approach.
Lynn: ok when’s the last time you gave your salespeople a list of all their open business opportunities for NEXT year?
Sales Manager Team: ~ blank stares ~
Lynn: how about next month?
Sales Manager Team: ~ blank stares ~
Lynn: how often do you meet with your salespeople individually to talk about their prospecting efforts?
Sales Manager Team: ~ blank stares ~
Lynn: when is the last time you discussed who their NEXT best customer is going to be?
Sales Manager Team: ~ blank stares ~
I get that as a sales leader you are tasked with making this month’s goal and when times are tough, it’s difficult to look beyond that.
That is why leadership REQUIRES discipline. The discipline to go beyond this moment. You need to ask yourself what you WANT your team to do, then do the things YOURSELF that will help them achieve that.