Get Out of Your Own Way

Last’s week post, The Light Touch, created insightful response, with a standout comment:

“…genuine interest in helping others often reaps its own reward but in the context of career progression, perhaps needs to be a bit more structured and directed, which is where people perhaps miss a trick.”

This got me thinking about how to bring structure to career planning, yet stay genuinely interested in our fellow humans

I recall a fascinating conversation with a sales leader a number of years ago who was at a loss to explain why one of his team had delivered the most successful commercial week in over four years. Naturally, my curiosity went into overdrive trying to understand more context. He explained that stellar sales operators in his business, “needed the brain of a mathematics graduate combined with the imagination of an artist.”

He described further that this team member always stayed on process, using frameworks that were his daily operating model. The difference that week was his confidence and self-belief were sky high. He tried things that he had never attempted before and trusted his own instincts with clients, rather than constantly deferring to his line manager. He asked my opinion as an executive coach - what did I think was the difference that made the difference:

I said, “He got out of his own way.”

It struck me that this team member’s recent high performance was the result of the individual tapping into his intuitive/unconscious and imaginative mind, rather than his processes and rational critical thinking. Intuitive thinking is often dismissed in our hyper-rational business world, yet I believe there are many commercial opportunities being missed. I have observed at first-hand leaders making intuitive hiring and retention decisions that work out very well, based on a hunch. Enterprise sales people hitting the zone to expand a deal size based on an intuitive feeling, effortlessly getting all the right people in the room to ensure customer success and expand opportunity for all.

By definition, if we do what we have always done, we will get what we always have. To experience overachievement, we have to enter an uncertain place, a place we have not been before. The advice from Ukrainian world-record-breaking pole vaulter Sergey Bubka, is to forget limits exist.

Stellar author Clyde Brolin brings this to life in his book In the Zone which was the result of his seven-year quest, studying the mindset of elite sports people in the world. His conclusion was that,

“No one has a straight line to success; the elite Conceive, Believe and Achieve.”

One of the UK’s most successful Olympians Sir Chris Hoy says,

“In general, we all underestimate what we’re capable of… A lot of people look at Olympic or world champions and think they are born to be a champion, a different breed… I didn’t stand out from the crowd… Everyone can surprise themselves with what they’re capable of doing.”

I recommend using both your intuitive imagination and critical thinking skills, as solely relying on one is sub-optimal in career decision making and enterprise sales alike.

Acquiring and retaining vital talent are top of every leader’s agenda at present. How talent is engaged, motivated/de-motivated and how high performance is achieved has been a mild obsession of mine over the last thirty years.

My observation is that top talent always has multiple career options, regardless of market conditions. We are currently in a very candidate-driven space, where demand for quality jobs is heavily outstripping supply of able candidates. Yet even in the most dire of jobs markets such as I observed post 9/11 and the Credit crunch, game-changing professionals and enterprise sales talent were regularly approached to be enticed to pastures new. Interesting to note that the deciding factor if people chose to move or stay, was the calibre of relationship and trust with their line manager and senior leaders. Job market dynamics change - human nature does not.

How do leaders attract and retain high performers in their organisations?

This quote from former De Beers CEO Varda Shine, is a stellar directional guide:

"The best employees are those who have other options but choose to stay working with you."

Thank you Keith Douglas for the book, The Leader's Secret Code by Ian Mills, Mark Ridley, Ben Laker and Adam Pacifico, where this quote came from.

My challenge to you this week is:

How do you tap into the hidden resources of your intuitive mind? How do you get out of your own way?

If you are a leader, how do you build the trust and credibility, so your top talent wants to stay working with you, despite having other options?

Our purpose at Enterprise Sales Club is to enable SaaS Sales Professionals to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learnings.

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