Leadership is a Sales Job

In the modern age, one key element, of developed countries, is freedom and mobility. For example, in America, people can come and go as they please. This has critical implications if you want to be a leader.

Most obviously, you should be able to see how sales is a key component of leadership. You need to earn the respect and devotion of your followers. You need to sell them on why they should follow you.

Employees have the freedom to work where they please. If you do not treat your employees well, they may just leave you. This applies in both the private and public sectors. It is most obvious with not-for-profits, where you do not even have employees, you simply have "volunteers."

One way, to treat people well, is to help them get want they want. Though we rarely view it in this way, what a person wants is their mission.

Leadership can be construed as "Managing for the mission." While an organization should have a clear mission (though most do not) individuals should think through their mission as well. Few people have done this, and they could use the help of a leader.

Though we all want money, is it unlikely to be your mission. You are much more likely, to discover you mission, by answering questions like "What is worth doing, even if I fail?" or "What do I want to be remembered for?"

One of my favorite sayings is, "Life applies friction." In today's example, the simple fact that different people, pull in different directions, creates friction. A key job, for the leader, is to manage that friction.

The goal should be unity through diversity. Your job, as a leader, is to channel the various followers, and create unity through a diversity of people. Because, as I have suggested, not all mission statements will line up. To compound the challenge, most people do not have a personal mission statement. They simply have desires, fears, and interests.

Identifying where you are headed (your mission) is an extremely important part (probably the most important part) of convincing people to follow you. By convincing, I mean selling people on joining you for the journey. It is not easy. But, who ever said leadership is easy?