Sales leaders and superheroes: what do they have in common? Surprisingly, a lot more than you might think.
According to Billy Sheng, global head of sales at Esper, sales leadership comes down to understanding the Superman vs. Yoda approach.
“I had a tough time balancing the heavy-handed Superman approach versus the coaching-and-guiding Yoda approach,” Sheng said. “You learn really early on how a successful leader can make or break a team.”
While sales managers might not be able to command a pitch meeting with the Force or shoot lasers from their eyes to annihilate quarterly goals, the ability to lead a team to victory still requires a robust set of characteristics any mortal or superhero can develop over time. Even Superman and Yoda relied on their unique perspectives and diverse experiences to guide key decisions when they mattered most. While their fictional backgrounds differ, one truth remains universal: Real leaders are created when their followers believe in them.
For Yoda, mentorship, wisdom and a shared vision were essential for success. Simply possessing the Force was not enough to cultivate true achievement, and passing down the art of training was important to Jedi longevity. For Superman, strength and tenacity were crucial elements to winning battles and inspiring others. So when it comes to leadership, how do you determine which alien leader from space has the best approach?
Sheng cut his teeth while ambitiously running his own startups after college, which taught him what it takes to be a great leader — not for just the overall success of his companies, but for the employees and their customers. One area that was particularly helpful: using the Yoda-like approach behind the scenes to achieve internal balance and reaffirm that sales professionals feel like they’re a part of the company.
Built In Seattle took a deep dive into Sheng’s career to find out how he prepared for his current sales leadership role and the most impactful abilities he believes every good leader should have.
What is your career background, and how did it prepare you for a leadership role?
I ran a startup right after college, and it was a big learning opportunity. You learn really early on how a successful leader can make or break a team. I made a lot of mistakes and had a tough time balancing the heavy-handed Superman approach versus the coaching-and-guiding Yoda approach. After that, I did a few more startups which gave me the chance to keep leading teams and continue learning what it means to be a leader.
What are the most valuable sales leadership attributes and characteristics?
The most valuable sales leadership attribute is the same attribute that makes anyone successful in life — curiosity.
If you are curious about your team, the company, your customers and the market, everything else falls into place. If you are truly curious about what makes the people on your team tick, you begin to be a better listener, become more interested in who they are as an individual, and spend the time to give them your undivided attention. Apply this same set of principles to your customer and your product and there is nothing that can stop you.
If you are curious about your team, your customers and the market, everything else falls into place.”
What's a recent example of how sales leadership skills helped you or a colleague solve an issue?
Our organization is going through tremendous growth. Sometimes that means sales professionals having to choose between spending time to hit their quota, and helping others behind the scenes ramp up and feel like they’re a part of the company.
Some of the team was struggling to find that balance. Because our organization spends time surfacing these internal conflicts to have these dialogues during one-on-ones, we were able to reaffirm that effort will always be rewarded. We see what’s happening behind the scenes, and it is appreciated and visible to the entire company.
