The myth of the founder-as-superseller has done real damage to early-stage companies. We have romanticized the image of the charismatic CEO who can close any room, and as a result we have pressured technical, product-obsessed, or operationally minded founders into roles they are temperamentally and skill-wise unsuited for.
Read MoreMy philosophy on leadership was initially shaped by those latter interactions: setting meetings with VPs of Sales and Marketing, meandering through their office spaces to conference rooms, and engaging with various team members. Observing their interaction with technology and their cultural dynamics provided me with a tangible sense of the environment fostered by the leader at the helm.
Read MoreAfter 25 years of leading sales teams, I have an “assertive and dogmatic” view of what constitutes great sales leadership that I am “firmly or [perhaps] unduly” adhering to.
Read More