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A Few Characteristics of Good Sales Leaders

At the top level, sales-based companies are necessarily metrics-focused, driven by tangible results. With numbers as the ultimate deliverables, that thinking can pervade the approach some sales leaders use in managing their teams. However, if that’s all they focus on as leaders, it can be a sure way to stunt rather than encourage growth. The managers who help their teams see greater success share some additional approaches and traits.

Good leaders—in any organization, sales or otherwise—are often characterized by the talent they hire. Identifying and drawing good candidates sets the foundation for good teams, and the best leaders surround themselves with the best. Even more, they are able to engage and retain those employees, creating a more solid, substantial team.

3 Tips to Stay Focused at Work

Just a regular day at the office, and, first thing in the morning, your to-do list is at least a mile long. You hit lunch break and see that nothing has changed: you still have the same number of tasks on your list. Suddenly, it’s time to go home, and you might have crossed a thing or two off, but you’ve also added five for tomorrow. You sat diligently at your desk the whole day, so why didn’t you get anything done?

Many people visit and revisit this scenario all the time. And sadly, it becomes a cycle that can be hard to break, which is a problem in companies that reward performance and productivity and penalize tardiness and inefficiency. Usually, the issue is a matter of focus. Which is easy to identify but could be difficult to fix. If you’re in that boat, here are a few tips that might help improve your focus (and productivity) at work.

Five Ways to Reduce Stress at the Office

There are hectic deadlines. There are quickly shifting priorities. There are performance demands. There’s tension and there’s conflict. The unfortunate reality of any given working day is that there’s stress. And, without some sort of release, stress can build to a point that it can cause harmful physical problems, including headaches, fatigue, and even chest pain. To try to avoid that, here are five tips to help combat stress at the office.

An Inspiring Leadership Style – Google CEO Larry Page

If your company is looking for a leadership role model, you might look no further than Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page. Recently tapped as Fortune’s 2014 Businessperson of the Year and lauded by Forbes as being one of the ten most powerful people (he’s number nine), Page is undoubtedly a success. And his company’s results speak for it—Google posted third-quarter 2014 earnings that marked a 20% year-over-year increase, and among other successes from its vast array of products and services, Google now commands more than 2 million internet searches per second. But it’s more than the numbers Page and his company put up. It’s his way of getting people to perform—and perform not just well, but spectacularly.

Coaching the Humble: Invest in Your Rookies

In many organizations, coaching has become the go-to tool for executive development. For many executives, an executive coach has become a status symbol or a benefit that they are entitled to. Forbes reports that spending among corporate titans, such as GE, Goldman Sachs, and Google, totals $1billion per year in the U.S. alone.[i]

Is this investment in coaching being made wisely? Most companies spend considerable energy ensuring this investment is being made with the right people. But are we making these investments at the right time? In far too many cases, precious resources are wasted on talent that doesn’t currently have an appetite for development.

Feedback is a Two-Way Street

For some people, the term “feedback” is like a four-letter word, perceived as a euphemism for judgment and even condemnation. Because of that, people often shy away from both delivering and receiving feedback, but that becomes a lost opportunity. Because, in fact, feedback is also about praise and recognition; it can be a very positive and powerful tool, and it can be useful for fine-tuning skills, improving communication and collaboration, and motivating your employees.

Of the companies that wish to establish a developed feedback program, many engage in a 360 feedback program, but do so only once, and then forget to follow up. It’s tough for anyone to make adjustments to work style, behavior, or mentality—and know that they’re making the right changes— if there are too many months between conversations. To be effective, feedback must be delivered regularly, it must be timely, and it should include commentary on what an employee does well. Be sure that your managers and supervisors communicate often with their direct reports—it’s easier to correct behavior when it begins rather than once it’s a habit, and your employees have room for more growth if they feel encouraged and supported.