Five signals that sales leadership needs development
Five patterns to examine when commercial responsibility grows and current ways of working no longer support consistent execution.
Most high performers come to coaching late. They wait until something breaks. But the best time to build a stronger performance system is before the cracks appear.
Here are five signs I see consistently in leaders who would benefit from coaching, even when they insist they're doing fine.
1. You're performing, but it takes more out of you than it used to
You're still hitting your numbers. You're still showing up. But the energy it takes has gradually increased. What used to feel manageable now feels like a grind. That's not a personal failing, it's a signal that your performance system needs attention.
2. Your calendar is full, but your focus is fragmented
Being busy and being effective are not the same thing. If you finish most days feeling like you worked hard but moved nothing forward, you're probably caught in reactive mode. A good coaching process helps you plan your week instead of just reacting to it.
3. You've stopped recovering properly
Recovery isn't a luxury, it's part of performance. Sleep is lighter. Weekends don't reset you like they used to. You're always slightly behind, even when you technically have time off. That gap between work and recovery is where performance quietly deteriorates.
4. You know what you need to do, but you're not doing it
This one is common and it catches people off guard. You know you should be exercising more. You know you should be delegating. You know you should be having that conversation. The gap between insight and action is often where coaching makes the biggest difference.
5. You're performing for others more than for yourself
Over time, external pressure can quietly take over. You're not performing because you're driven, you're performing because you can't afford not to. That shift from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation is a warning sign. It's also very reversible.
What to do with this
None of these signs mean you're failing. They mean you're a high performer running a system that's starting to cost more than it should.
Bring a commercial goal or a sales challenge. In a 60-minute Performance Review, we examine what has changed, where performance needs to develop and which priorities deserve attention over the next 90 days. We then assess whether working together makes sense. 60 minutes · No cost · No obligation.