It was hard not to feel sorry for the 18-year-old 100m sprinter from Mozambique who was recently disqualified from his race at the Paris Olympics. The poor kid probably had his whole family and everyone back in his home country watching him on the biggest day of his life. Sadly, for him, one small mistake (starting too soon) and his game was over before it began.
The question is, what sort of effect will this experience have on his life and career? It could be the making of him or it could have a seriously negative impact on his confidence, self-belief and future performances.
One of the biggest deciders on how he deals with this set back will potentially come down to who he has in his corner. Does he have people in his corner such as his coach, his family and wider support network who can steer him through the process of responding to the undoubted disappointment that he will be feeling and push on with developing his talent and future performances?
It has been interesting watching arguably the World’s best athletes at the Olympics. I notice that almost without exception, on completing their routine or event most athletes immediately look over to their coach for feedback on how to improve and advance with their next performance. In sport they refer to this as seeking incremental gains and it shows that even the best athletes in the world need an experienced coach in their corner. This for me highlights the difference between a professional and an amateur approach to life. The best (pro) athletes know that there is always room to improve and that the bar can always be raised. Contrast that mindset with an amateur’s approach who often feel and behave as if they already know everything. The moment that you adopt that attitude or mindset in business and sport you pretty much stop all opportunity for improvement and advancement.
I believe that this is also true for those in sales.
My experience is that best sales leaders are those who support their teams, challenge them to do better, and praise them for their right moves. Sales leaders must adapt their approach based on the experience level of their team members. Those early in their careers need training; those further along need coaching and iterative feedback; and the most experienced require mentoring and recognition to maintain peak performance. In a challenging economic climate, a top sales leader is invaluable.
If you ask a manager what the best thing is about leading a team, the most common answer is; “the positive impact that I can have on their careers …”. I can only imagine how rewarding it must be for a coach to help an athlete achieve their goals in the Olympics.
Usain Bolt said "My coach is a genius. He sees things in me that I don’t see. He’s the one who’s pushed me, believed in me, and gotten me to this level."
My challenge to all sales leaders in the current climate is indeed this is our time to shine. Be the coach that your team knows they can rely on. You don’t want them to run to you with every single problem but when it is important this is our time to shine. This is the true mark of a leader who understands the profound impact they can have on their team's careers and lives. In return the right team members will give you a higher level of performance.
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