Monthly Archives: June 2024

Just like star athletes often struggle to transition to the role of “coach,” a star sales rep can struggle to succeed as a sales manager. As a manager, your success no longer hinges on personal performance. Instead, it hinges on your ability to create a thriving team. At the same time, your responsibilities increase.

“Why would I want to measure my emerging leader program? It might show we aren’t making a difference!” That was the very real response I got many years ago from the VP of L&D at Novartis when I asked her about her measurement strategy.

Since Chat GPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, leadership development has seen an explosion of new technology. That said, most leadership development professionals still aren’t adopting it. In the 2024 LEADx Leadership Development Benchmark Report, we found that just 24% of leadership development professionals currently use AI in their work. 

Sales leaders are the lever for a high-performing sales organization. One study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that 69% of sales reps who exceeded quota rated their managers highly.

Let’s start with a real story of how not to choose participants for your emerging leader program. This pharmaceutical company had such a bad selection process that you can use it as a map of the mistakes you should avoid.