Fear or No Fear: How do you lead?

Over the last 21 years, I've seen fear cripple sellers in multiple business environments. They listen to the voice in their head that says, "they aren't good enough," or they fear what their boss will tell if they mess up. FEAR can be paralyzing for people, take us into a state of unsafe environments, and create anxiety about potential outcomes that have yet to occur. As we related FEAR to sports, you never want to be in a position to look over your shoulder or worry about what might happen. Instead, you want to focus on the present and the now, focus on believing what you do matters, and then just executing.  

In this article, I'm excited to partner with Jon Hunter, a proven and successful salesman, sales leader, and Chief Revenue Officer.  Jon and I both have experienced our fair share of good days and bad days in the world of sales. We know what it's like to practice and fail. In a recent conversation with Jon, he and I talked about the imaginary dream for a salesperson. The question we posed to each other was simple – "Imagine what would happen if you as a salesperson won the lottery, had all the money in the world, yet, you still had a sales job. You still were required to grow and bring in revenue to your company. How would your mindset change? Would you treat your customers differently since you didn't need the money? Would you find yourself being more curious and interested in helping solve problems for your customer?" 

Now, I realize that this is a pipe dream. But, the point we want to drive home for leaders is simple. We need to remove the fear and inspire an environment where sellers can be free to be in the flow of being their best. That is your job as a sales leader to create environments of authenticity versus environments of intimidation. Additionally, we know what it's like to have a sales meeting not quite go as we had planned. Our point is simple, failure and mistakes will happen. We all have gaps where we can improve, and we all don't wake up in the morning hoping to let our team, our leader, or our customer down. But, unfortunately, it will happen. So, as leaders, we have choices on what we will do to foster an environment of phycological safety and encouragement to be our best. Below are specific areas that leaders can focus on to remove fear from your seller's mindsets.

Show Vulnerability as a leader

Your team needs to know you are imperfect too. Your team needs to know that you are approachable and aren't a leader that sits behind a closed office door. Don't be the Wizard of Oz leader who sits behind the curtain and is afraid to get an elbow to elbow with your team. Instead, inspire them and show them you, too, made mistakes. And, you still do!  Remind them that achieving their goals and instilling great habits will take time, hard work, and focus, but you are here to be their biggest champion. 

Get behind the science of Fearless leadership

Simon Sinek, the author of Leaders Eat last Leaders Eat Last, explains how the human brain works and has a particular reaction to fear where cortisol is released.  When we are frightened,  we must choose our fight or flight mode, our least intelligent and most un-productive mode. So what can you do to maximize these chemical reactions in our people and make them more productive? Give a gratitude statement to a teammate even if you are not sure they will value it, show up on time and make sure your team knows you are doing your part, encourage a teammate if there is a setback, and watch your words, texts, and emails they all have an impact. The bottom line when people are scared, they are not at peak performance. As a leader, create environments where your team can be their most confident self. When this occurs, you will see a healthier bottom line across the board. 

Show Humility as a leader

Great wisdom says, "Great leaders don't need to share how good they are. If and when they are great, their teams will tell them." In all my sports and business experience, when leaders can create environments where they help show their path of struggle and sacrifice, it will help less experienced teammates realize what is possible. A humble leader who shared his or her downfalls and lessons learned of their own mistakes will help inspire others to achieve great things! Too often, less experienced associates will see their leader's final product, which, most likely, took years to reach. 

Get yourself Fearless First "Divine Selfishness."

Isn't it easy to point out what's wrong with other people and how they should change? If you're not sleeping well, eating healthy, in balance with your kids, values, and priorities, you're not going to be very effective in leading your team through something like Covid-19. We have seen examples where one or two leaders who were struggling with life brought many people into a negative fear position because they were not at their best. There is a reason that when you board a flight and flight attendants ay "put your mask on first."

Instill the art of practice

As kids, be it in band, art, or sports, we attended practice. We worked on our craft to get better in specific areas where we needed the extra work. We would attend practice 2-3 times a week before a game. However, what I've found complexing in my adult life is that people don't like to practice, or at times, be coached. Instead, they prefer the "wing it" mentality. As a lifelong business development & sales professional, the practice has always been something I've embraced. One of my mentors told me that if we aren't practicing our craft internally, we choose to practice on our clients. How scary is that! If I called your customers or prospects and told them that you are practicing on them, how would they feel? Exactly!   So, as a leader, please do Jon, and I favor creating an environment where your team feels vulnerable to ask for help. An environment where they can hear about your gaps and areas you once struggled. Finally, create an environment where your team wants to practice without FEAR!

What are fearless attributes to look for in companies?

·     Embrace enthusiasm and set the tone at the top.

·     Failing is publicly valued.

·     Learning is valued.

·     There are transparent investments in developing people.

·     The plan is about the team performing, not just individuals.

·     If you are struggling, you receive help and support from your leader.

·     If you are ever in need of leaving a job, leaders show employees dignity.

·     The plan and investments are for the long haul.

·     The C suite has the courage and doesn't let a crisis burn down their culture.

·     Laughter is everywhere.

·     Turnover is 10%.

·     Customers are commenting on the employees and their contagious energy.

·     Employees love to talk about their company.

·     Leaders are selected very carefully, and there is a tremendous value placed on how to coach.

·     Having self-awareness is expected and taught.

·     Teams are invested in and given 360 surveys, DISC surveys, and taught to grow and influence.

·     No brilliant jerks tolerated.

·     Teachers like Simon Sinek are valued and taught.

·     The health of the culture will drive a leader's compensation. Always inspect what you expect.

In closing, what Jon and I have shared isn't earth-shattering information or science-breaking facts. However, I hope we've helped you realize that YOU have control over a lot of what happens in your environment to remove FEAR and inspire your team to practice, not be afraid to fail, and stay humble along the journey.

How would you rate your culture and the level of fear?