Part 2 - Leadership Style

My leadership style is a mosaic, shaped by the diverse managers I've encountered throughout my career. Each manager has added a unique ingredient to the "Drew Ferrara" style of leadership, much like crafting a complex meal. And like food...many people may relish it, some may suggest tweaks, and others might call it the worst meal they've ever eaten on Yelp (1 Star!).

So, what type of leader do you want to become?

There is no shortage of articles about the different types of leadership: Servant, Coercive, Authoritative, Connector, Coach, Visionary, etc. I won't get into specifics on the different styles and what's the most effective or impactful for a team, 谷歌 can help you with that. I believe that the best leaders are like clay, their leadership style is moldable to the given situation with the ability to change and adapt quickly as circumstances evolve.

I'm going to focus this newsletter on where you should spend your time as you ramp up and things to ensure you have in place over the first few weeks. No one taught me this, it's a result of learning on the fly and I've optimized it over the years for different companies and teams.

Setting the Tone

The initial weeks in a new leadership role are crucial. This is when you set the tone for the team with your expectations and approach. Go in too soft, and experienced personnel might walk all over you. Go in too hard, and you risk alienating your team from the start.

So, what should you do?

1. Stay True to Yourself: Remember what got you here in the first place. Becoming a leader should not drastically change you. You've likely been a leader without a title for some time. The executives saw the potential in you, which is why you were entrusted with leading a team. As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” (Voltaire said it first!)
2. Reflect on Past Experiences: Think about your previous managers—the good, the bad, and the ugly. What made them stand out in positive and negative ways? Did they inspire and motivate you or demoralize you? Take those experiences and mold them into your own unique style and approach. Don’t just cherry-pick the positive aspects; learn from the negatives too. Understanding the context of negative experiences helps you avoid repeating those mistakes.
3. Define Your Guiding Principles: Spend time identifying what has made you successful and what your guiding principles as a leader will be. These should be clear and straightforward words or phrases that convey your approach to leadership. For example, some of my leadership guiding principles are: Flawless Execution, Transparency, Collaboration, Win As A Team. Choose principles that you can truly embody and reflect in your daily actions as a leader.
4. Plan Your Time Effectively: Map out your time to ensure you are allocating time for one-on-ones, team enablement, and, most importantly, time in the field with your team, customers, and prospects. As a leader, you’ll be pulled in many directions, but being in the trenches with your team is where you'll truly gauge the pulse of your business. A wise leader, Eric Cross , once told me...“As a leader, you’re either coaching the behavior or letting it happen.” If you're not consistently in the field, you miss out on seeing things happen in real-time. It also allows you to build credibility with the team and identify areas for skill development.
5. Identify Your Right-Hand Person: Identify your right-hand person—likely a top performer that is well respected within the team. This person will help you ideate and soundboard ideas before presenting them to the full team and provide insights into your team's successes and areas needing improvement. This person is crucial to your success as a leader and embodies your guiding principles. When you rollout a new idea or approach, you should have already discussed it with them to get their input and support. Don't just pick a "Yes Person"; you want to build a culture that allows for collaboration and for people to speak their minds.

Listening Tour and Quick Wins

As you step into the role, conduct a listening tour to understand what’s working and what’s not. Identify quick wins to gain early buy-in from the team, but be careful not to overpromise. Recognize that some processes and procedures, while not optimized, may be limited by system constraints and are not immediately fixable. Identify what items are within your control and what requires executive or cross-functional engagement. Be open and honest with the team about this process, as it will go a long way.

By focusing on these areas, you'll not only define your leadership style but also create a strong foundation for your team’s success.

These experiences and lessons led me to create this series “Igniting Sales Leadership,” to provide guidance and support for new leaders in similar situations.

Next up, I’ll focus on Vision/Strategy - How to build and execute on your vision/strategy.

"Leaders must be willing to LET GO of what worked yesterday and LEARN NEW WAYS of seeing, doing, and leading." - John Maxwell