Building a Leadership Foundation from Day One

Ever wondered how the challenges of your first leadership role can shape your entire career? Today, we're joined by a veteran leader who takes us back 35 to 40 years to his first managerial position at a technology training company. From the thrill of moving from a cubicle to his own office to the reality of managing a diverse team, our guest's journey is packed with invaluable lessons. Learn how a tense sales call with a senior team member revealed the complexities of ego, feedback, and situational leadership, teaching him the importance of coaching and empathy in maintaining team morale.

Discover how these early experiences laid the foundation for a career in leadership, offering timeless advice for both new managers and seasoned leaders. Our guest shares the critical skills of active listening, thoughtful coaching, and the nuanced art of balancing authority with compassion. Whether you're facing resistance to feedback or looking to boost your team's strengths, this episode provides actionable insights to help you navigate the intricacies of leadership and propel your career forward. Don't miss this opportunity to gain wisdom from someone who has successfully managed people for decades.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

The first time I became a leader, I was a leader of a small sales team for a technology training company, and this is a good 35 to 40 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. Naively, I was so excited to go from a cubicle to my own office, thinking I have finally landed. I was young, I was in my mid-20s. I was already a leader, yet I was unprepared. I was not formally trained. Yes, I had an owner of the company who really coached me and mentored me. He was very, very good at it, extremely good at it, and I look back at that experience and I was lucky to have a good owner, a good coach, a good mentor. And I remember getting my team and it was only about four people and I realized only with four people. You know what this will be easy. Yet I realized four people had different skill levels. They had different willingness levels, what they were willing to do to improve. I had people with different personalities. I had people with different levels of acceptance when it came to feedback, and I'll share this with you.

Speaker 1: 1:51

One of the first sales calls I went on was with a person that was senior to my age. She was a good 15 to 20 years older than me, had been selling for a while and I remember during a sales call she completely started to botch the sales call. So I inserted myself politely, I thought and respectfully, and we ended up getting the business thinking in my mind you know what I've saved the day. This will be good for the salesperson. She's going to get a commission. Yet she was furious with me and I look back at that moment. I remember saying where did you think that sales call was going? She said I don't care, don't ever interrupt one of my sales calls again. And it taught me about something called ego. Taught me about resistance to feedback. It taught me as a leader. Did I handle that situation right?

Speaker 1: 2:44

So I began to go to the owner of the company and I asked him how would you have handled it? He said look, there are no set rules. Situationally, you're going to face so many things you're unprepared for. Be kind, be thoughtful, always remember their feelings. Obviously, try to win the business. Yet, more importantly, you have to coach. You have to coach that person even after. You cannot back away, even though she was angry. You cannot back away from that conversation because that becomes her power and her control. You're in charge of the team.

Speaker 1: 3:18

That was a tough lesson for me because the person who was upset with me was a friend. She was a really nice lady. She came to the company because I recruited her. So I felt a sense of responsibility being a first-time leader. No matter your age, you're going to face things. Till this day, 35 to 40 years later, managing people today. Till this day, 35 to 40 years later, managing people today, I still face curveballs. So we have to be prepared mentally. We have to be prepared to listen. We have to really be prepared, really be prepared to coach, ask questions, really listen, actively listen, paraphrase back, leverage, acknowledge the good things they're doing, insert the word and and saying and what about getting better at this particular area of your job? How do you think that might serve you well? Become a skilled coach and, as a new leader, as a new manager, your career will skyrocket.