What if I told you that the most powerful sales tool you’re not using is sitting in your Zoom recordings and sales calls? In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I sit down with Danny DelVecchio – sales leader turned content strategist – to unpack how your everyday conversations can become the foundation of a trust-building, pipeline-driving content machine.

We get straight into it: why most salespeople avoid video (and why that’s costing them), how to make content creation stupidly simple, and the unfair advantage you get when prospects say “I feel like I already know you.” Whether you're camera shy, time-poor or just don’t know where to start – Danny breaks down a no-fluff, no-fuss approach to video-led content that actually works. Plus, he shares how video testimonials are the most underrated conversion tool in your kit.

[02:20] – The 3 big reasons salespeople avoid video (and why they’re wrong)

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My guest this week is Bruce Temkin – founder of the XM Institute, host of Humanity at Scale, and often referred to as the godfather of customer experience. Bruce has spent decades helping global leaders humanise their organisations. In this episode, we bring that wisdom straight into the world of sales leadership.

We break down what it means to be a human-centric leader – someone who doesn’t just drive outcomes, but does it without leaving a trail of emotional destruction behind. If you’re managing a team under pressure, leading remotely, or just trying to build loyalty and performance without burnout, this one’s for you.

We cover trust, empathy, digital charisma, and how to lead without being a robot. Get ready for practical ideas, deep insights, and a much-needed reminder that sales leadership isn’t about controlling people – it’s about creating space for them to succeed.

Start with purpose – Purpose gives direction. Without it, people scatter. Define where you’re going and why.

Practise empathy – It’s not about being soft. It’s about understanding the human impact of your actions – especially when giving tough feedback.

Build trust through ability, benevolence and integrity – Your team will only follow you if they believe you're competent, care about them, and behave consistently.

Adapt your leadership for remote teams – You can’t rely on proximity anymore. Build digital charisma. Be explicit with empathy and trust-building signals.

Pause and reflect – Use the power of metacognition. Daily and weekly reflection helps you lead with intention, not reaction.

[02:52] – What human-centric leadership really means

Newsletter: https://humanityatscale.substack.com/,

In this episode of Leadership that Sells, I’m joined by Dr Jaime Goff – a therapist turned executive coach and author of The Secure Leader. Jaime shares how childhood patterns and internal stories quietly shape the way we lead, and more importantly, how to change them.

We get into the deep but practical end of leadership: how trust issues, micromanagement, people pleasing, and self-doubt often stem from long-forgotten formative experiences. Jaime explains how these unseen narratives impact your ability to delegate, coach, and lead under pressure – and what to do about it.

If you’ve ever found yourself reacting in ways you can’t quite explain – over-controlling, avoiding conflict, chasing approval – this episode is for you.

Deconstruct your story: Reflect on early emotional experiences that shaped your beliefs about yourself and others. What patterns are helping? What are holding you back?

Build emotional regulation: Learn to recognise your triggers and respond rather than react. Regulation is foundational to secure leadership.

Deepen authentic connection: Take small risks to build real trust with your team. Secure leaders connect with others from a place of self-worth.

Integrate a new identity: Decide who you want to be as a leader. Build new, reinforcing habits around that identity and keep moving towards it.

Start from worth and trust: You can’t truly value others if you don’t value yourself. Leadership that works starts with internal security.

[03:07] – How early emotional experiences quietly shape your leadership patterns

Website - https://drjaimegoff.com/](https://drjaimegoff.com

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What if the very thing you're doing to reward success is the one thing that guarantees failure? In this episode, I speak with leadership mentor and author William Davis, who’s seen more than four decades of leadership mistakes up close. Together we get straight to the heart of a painful truth: most managers are made, not chosen—and we’re getting it badly wrong.

We talk about the classic disaster promotion—when your best individual contributor gets “rewarded” by becoming a leader, with zero prep and no support. William’s message is blunt and clear: if they don’t want to be a leader, they’ll never be a good one. So how do you spot the right ones? How do you shift that mindset from individual success to team success? And how do you build genuine, trusting relationships that hold up when things inevitably go wrong?

This one is full of practical gold for any sales leader trying to coach their team without losing their top players or their mind.

Don’t assume success in the role means readiness to lead. It’s a different job.

Ask the question early: Do you actually want to be a leader? If the answer’s no, don’t push it.

Great leadership starts with a mindset shift—from my success to my team’s success.

Build trust through personal connection—get to know your people outside of the office.

Use humour and humility to lower the pressure and make people feel safe.

Understand what actually matters to each person—professionally and personally.

[02:04] – William on why wanting to lead is non-negotiable

William Davis’ book: Building Genuine Relationships

Download the Parallel Team Playbook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573023334183

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In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I talk with Chip Higgins — small business strategist, seasoned exec and author of The Bizix Way — about how to lead with energy, focus, and staying power. Chip brings a totally fresh perspective by linking business performance to real physics principles like momentum, force, friction and inertia.

He shares how mass times velocity is more than just an equation from school science. It's a powerful mental model for sales teams and leaders who want to build real traction and keep it going. We dig into how leaders create energy, how to point it in the right direction, and how to build "mass" inside the business by developing people, sharpening value propositions, and improving the systems that make selling simpler.

Here’s how to create unstoppable sales momentum:

Momentum = Mass x Velocity. Mass is the density of your value proposition and team. Velocity is speed with direction.

Don’t confuse activity with productivity. Sales energy must be focused on aligned targets that drive real value.

Increase mass by building weighty leadership, strong culture, and clear differentiation.

Velocity comes from direction. Set the vector: what market, what message, what timeframe.

Friction kills energy. Remove unnecessary complexity, systems drag and pointless admin.

Reinvest in your people. Developing skills and character builds lasting mass.

Bond with your customers. Deep connections create resilience and power, like redwood trees sharing root systems.

Timeline summary:

[02:12] – Sales is the most intense energy field in business

Links & resources:

Chip’s site: https://www.chiphiggins.com/

Book: The Bizix Way (on Amazon, Kindle, Audio, Hardback)

Physics on Demand AI agent: https://www.bizix.com/physics-on-demand

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In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I sit down with Jeremy Blain — transformation strategist, leadership expert and four-time best-selling author — to dig into the practical realities of leading in a world that won’t stop shifting. Jeremy has coached leaders in over 50 countries, built award-winning training companies, and previously held senior roles at PepsiCo and P&G. We talk about how leadership has to evolve for the digital age, why the human element is more important than ever, and why managers clinging to outdated models are falling behind fast.

We get into why today’s leaders need a full operating system upgrade, not just a patch or a plugin. Jeremy unpacks what that means in practical terms, and how the best leaders are dropping the need to have all the answers and instead creating the right culture for talent to thrive — including those who just want to do a great job and go home. This isn’t theory. It’s what real leadership looks like now.

Here’s how to upgrade your leadership operating system:

Timeline summary:

[02:24] – Why 20th century leadership needs a digital-age upgrade

Links & resources:

Enjoyed this episode?

Some things in sales leadership are easy to say but hard to do. Like being brave enough to push back on customers. Or helping your team give up short-term comfort to build long-term pipeline. In this episode, I’m joined by Zsike Peter, a powerhouse revenue leader at Cognism, to talk about how to lead through those challenges.

Zsike shares how she supports her team to stay consistent under pressure, make the right calls even when it’s tough, and keep leaning into the work that drives pipeline and growth. We talk about building a high-performance culture, the importance of clarity and repetition, and how to create space for both accountability and compassion. If you’ve ever felt the tug between being liked and being effective, this one’s for you.

Repetition builds belief. Keep saying the same message especially when you’re leading change or growth.

Don’t avoid the uncomfortable. Whether it’s a tough customer call or a difficult coaching moment, lean in.

Build a culture of care and challenge. Your team should feel supported and stretched.

Stay in the trenches. You earn trust by staying close to the work not just shouting from the sidelines.

Remember: consistency beats charisma. Day in, day out leadership is what wins.

[03:02] – Zsike’s take on what separates high-performing teams from the rest

Learn more about Cognism

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What happens when you treat frontline hourly workers like mission-critical professionals? In this episode, I sit down with Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO of Walfinch, to explore what empathetic leadership really looks like in the real world—and how it can become your competitive advantage.

Amrit shares the lessons he's learned building businesses from scratch, including a restaurant, a tea room, and multiple home care companies. We talk about the messy middle of leadership: building trust, hiring for mission over money, and solving real human problems like payday loans and car repairs—not with sympathy, but with action. Whether you're running a franchise or managing a sales team, Amrit shows how the best leaders don’t just show up with KPIs, they show up with care.

If you want to hire better, sell with more integrity, and build high-performing teams who stick around, this episode is a must-listen.

Start with empathy, but don’t stop there. Use it to understand what motivates your team—and then align that with your business goals.

Solve problems that matter. Helping an employee get out of a payday loan trap might do more for retention than another bonus scheme.

Hire for values, not just skills. Look for people who would do the job for free (but pay them well).

Reframe your incentives. Reward long-term results, not just quick wins—especially in recruitment and sales.

Don’t accept poor margins as an excuse. Amrit shifted Walfinch to focus on private-pay clients to create space for better staff pay and service.

[02:22] – What Amrit learned about leadership running both a deli and a care agency

Walfinch – National Home Care

Amrit’s book: Time to Thrive: The Home Care Revolution

Amrit’s podcast: Walking with Walfinch

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In this episode of Leadership That Sells, I sit down with Joe Davis, former Head of BCG North America, transformation expert, and author of The Generous Leader. Joe shares a refreshing, clear-eyed perspective on what it means to lead well under pressure especially when you're juggling high-performance targets and a stressed-out sales team.

We talk about how generosity isn’t soft it’s actually a strategic edge. Joe lays out exactly how a leader can be both supportive and tough on performance, why inclusion needs to go far beyond demographics, and how vulnerability builds real trust. It’s practical, honest and powerful. If you’ve ever struggled with how to push your team without breaking them, this is one for you.

How to lead with generosity and still drive accountability

Here’s how Joe Davis defines and applies generous leadership:

Timeline summary

[02:59] - “Generous leadership is giving of yourself freely… to help others grow and thrive.”

[04:43] - Joe’s wake-up call as a 24-year-old manager: “Why didn’t you tell me this two weeks ago?”

[07:06] - “The fastest trust builder? Listening. Not hearing — really listening.”

[08:51] - Inclusion done right: “When you invite me into that room, I want to give you everything.”

[10:45] - “Leadership is a learned performance. You don’t have to be Churchill to lead well.”

[13:26] - Vulnerability in action: “I don’t know, either.” How that one sentence unlocked a stuck team.

[19:04] - “This isn’t about being nice. It’s about outcomes — and how you get there matters.”

[22:04] - Generous inclusion: “It’s not demographics, it’s contribution. Invite, include, then ask.”

[25:10] - Joe’s billboard message to the world: “Listen with curiosity. Listen to learn. Have grace.”

Links & resources

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What if the thing holding your team back isn’t skills, tools or technique—but their mindset?

In this episode, I talk with Umar Hameed—hypnotist, executive coach, and founder of No Limits Selling—about the invisible blocks that keep salespeople stuck in B-player territory… and how to help them break through. Umar shares powerful, practical tools for rewiring beliefs, unlocking confidence on demand, and creating a team of authentic, purpose-driven A-players.

We unpack the real reason pipeline reviews feel like the Spanish Inquisition, why traditional team models fail in modern sales environments, and how to tap into the true identity of a salesperson beyond the persona and self-doubt.

If you want to help your reps stop playing small, feel genuinely good about selling, and perform at their best consistently—don’t miss this one.

🔹 Recognise mindset as the missing piece – Tools and training aren’t enough. It’s the internal belief system that determines whether a B-player steps up or stalls.

🔹 Use memory to boost confidence – Recall a moment you felt unstoppable. Relive it with all your senses. Then use a physical anchor (like a fist and saying “Yes”) to lock that feeling in.

🔹 Change limiting beliefs – Identify the belief behind the behaviour (e.g. “I’m too young” or “I don’t deserve success”) and reframe it into something empowering.

🔹 Create identity alignment – Help reps move beyond their persona and inner doubt to connect with who they really are. That’s where high performance lives.

🔹 Lead with love – A mindset of love (for yourself and others) creates calm, presence and connection. Sales isn’t manipulation. It’s service.

[04:54] – The real gold: how many B-players could be A-players if their mindset shifted?

🎧 Mindset Boosters – Umar’s on-demand mindset toolkit

🏫 Free Parallel Team Playbook – For leading modern sales teams

If this episode hit home, share it with your team, give us a follow, and drop a review. Let’s lead first and sell more.