Leadership: Why the Fish Stinks from the Head

Your team follows your lead. If you stink, they will stink.

Recently, I was approached by a pre-IPO company seeking advice to escalate their growth to get "IPO-ready". During an introductory call with the founder's associate, a critical issue was highlighted: an alarmingly low conversion rate from booked to actual meetings. The root of frustration seemed to be the sales reps' lack of accountability—often missing calls or failing to follow up with clients, particularly if a cancellation occurred.

Your team will follow your behaviour

The narrative took an ironic turn when I was scheduled to meet the company's co-founder. The co-founder failed to show up for our initial meeting without any explanation. Despite rescheduling twice, the co-founder canceled each time right before the call, also without any note.

This scenario illustrates a classic example of leadership failure. The behavior of the sales representatives is a direct reflection of the company's leadership ethos. Before tackling its go-to-market strategy, the company should perhaps prioritize leadership coaching to establish a foundation of accountability and professionalism. Leaders must model the behavior they expect from their team.