My top ten takeaways from the Asian in Sales Executive Panel

These were my top ten takeaways for moderating the Asians in Sales Executive event that I hosted this week.?

1. Don't be afraid to take the road less traveled- Mike Ng for instance, has left huge reputable companies to go to a smaller opportunity where he can have a more considerable impact on the company.
2. Think like an investment banker?when Mike Ng shared about acquisitions he discusses how when he acquired when he was CEO at Manage.com that having financial and business acumen is equally as important as having the people skills if your goal is to be acquired.?
3. Create events where you bring people together and you will be the expert and go-to person?when anyone has a problem and knows that you know someone who can most likely solve that problem- Paul Park shares with us his tips and thought process in bringing people together and how that's helped him solve problems for all of his friends.?
4. Slowing down and taking the time to teach others what you know- just because its first nature for you doesn't mean that everyone else around you gets it. Being able to teach someone how to fish is better in the long run than trying to do everything yourself because, ultimately, your bandwidth is not scalable.?
5. Leveraging the disadvantages?as well- There are people who can experience what most people would consider a disadvantage in this world for instance being a minority or you can spin it around and really connect with other minorities because it is a rare instance. When I reached out to Paul on my first day of work at TriNet, I immediately knew I wanted to get to know him better, and he took the time to mentor me because there aren't too many Asians in Sales. Paul is able to build a community not only within his Korean networks but he is able to take the time to mentor and is always willing to share his knowledge that that other can build their own ecosystems.?
6. Being confident and humble at the same time- Mike Wong is such an influential people leader in our interactions, despite how busy he is, he speaks to everyone as equals. He isn't afraid to put in the sweat equity and understands everyone's unique style and is adaptive depending on the situation. He's helped me be a better leader in his listening and his attitude towards collaboration and authentic sharing.
7. Respect the process-?One of the common themes I've noticed with these three leaders is that they are incredibly present even though they all have so many on their plate being leaders for their rapidly growing organizations. Being present and active listening is such a valuable skill, and you get the sense that they are always listening and would not interrupt people, giving them sufficient time to say all that the other person wants to share.
8. Love for the game-?they all share a love for sales and business. Hearing their passion and the feedback I've received from the event- everyone is inspired and people who aren't even in sales have expressed an interest in getting into sales because of their stories.?
9. Taking Intelligent risks-?Not being a pushover and often challenging the status quo is not an easy task, but staying true to their convictions and knowing that it is the right thing to do is another common theme.?
10. Admitting to your mistakes- There were many examples of being stubborn as an individual contributor and not playing well in the sandbox. Still, they are all humble enough to know that there could have been more effective resolutions, but that's what makes the best leaders. People who are not afraid to make bold decisions but at the end of the day knowing that what you say will not resonate with everyone and be okay with your decisions and more importantly moving on from it and not being so hard on yourself.?

I hope you enjoyed my top ten takeaways. Feel free to reach out, and introduce yourself. Check out my other podcasts for similar topics and discussions.?

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