Leaders may be Salespeople in Disguise
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The best leaders have more in common with salespeople than with managers. So indicates a recent study comparing the characteristics of 293 presidents and CEOs with the profiles of 1,470 superior managers and 629 top salespeople.
Indeed, the entrepreneurial leader is truly a salesperson on a broader scale. Whether pitching an idea to an important client, negotiating a strategic relationship, persuading a key employee to take on a new challenge or doing a pre-IPO road show, CEOs and other top leaders embody many of the characteristics of top-level salespeople-including being "challenged" when it comes to tasks requiring discipline, structure and a conscientious focus on details and due diligence.
Findings from the study:- Managers focus on results; leaders know results are achieved through people.
- Managers are implementers; leaders are intiators.
- Managers command through their position; leaders inspire by making great ideas come alive.
- Managers have opinions;leaders help form opinions.
- Managers are followed because theyr'e bosses; leaders are followed because we believe in them.
Warren Bennis, former president of The University of Cincinnati and a long-time professor and author on the subject of leadership, makes this distinction between the two: "Managers do things right, while leaders to the right things."
The message: Look within your sales ranks for future leadership candidates. Then nurture, mentor and coach those with leadership potential.
