Leadership Doesn't Exist Without Sales

Leadership is the ability to apply communal influence while completing a common charge, and  leaders possess a degree of power that enables them to summon support on demand. We follow leaders for a variety of reasons, usually it’s because of one or more types of power:

• Position Power- exercised via reward, punishment, ownership, gender, etc.
• Connection Power- granted due to access control
• Knowledge Power- intellectual exclusivity
• Expert Power- garnered with superior skill sets
• Referent Power- earned out of respect, trust, and admiration
• Obligation- enforced by reminding of commitment

Although these classes of power delineate leadership, they are not always employed for good,  sometimes they are exploited for evil. 

‘True Leaders’ have, consciously or intuitively, mastered the art of ‘Sales’; They have attained a unique understanding of ‘gaining buy-in’ .  Think about your most admired leader and consider the following:

• How effective are they connecting during an initial interaction
• How open and sound are they when listening to and understanding others’ points of view
• Do they advocate a product/service (e.g. Agenda, Organization, Cause, Belief, etc.)
• Are they able to impact others’ opinions attracting them to support initiatives
• Are they able to durably develop/sustain relationships and maintain a loyal following
• Are their requests usually granted and/or supported

Ownership of these attributes increases adherents, affording professional progression and power.  Leaders usually exude a charismatic confidence that engages others in a process.  At first sight their behavior is not sales-like, however, with elementary observation it becomes immensely obvious.  The beauty of these subtle salespeople is that they function with a distinct understanding of Time (past occurrences/future consequences) and Space (viewpoints of people within the organization).  When examining their thought process and decision making methodology, it is almost omniscient.

The concept of ‘Leadership doesn’t exist without sales’ materialized from a Leadership conference.  The presenter, exceptionally experienced, lead an organization of over 5,500 for eight years with monumental achievements.  The more he talked about qualities and characteristics of significant leaders, the more familiar the discussion became.  Not only could I see sales prowess in the behavioral descriptions, I could see him gaining buy-in while pervading leadership principles to his audience.  True leaders sell their products (beliefs, principles, agendas, causes, organizations, processes, etc.) and service their customers (staff, team members, constituents, patients, parishioners, etc.) well; Always using their powers for good, not evil.  Great Selling!

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