Today’s guest is a father of three wonderful children, a volunteer youth athletics coach, and has an accomplished career in sales leadership roles. Kevin Martin is the VP, Parchment Growth at Instructure. Kevin joins Host Matt Benelli to discuss the importance of being disciplined as a leader, trusting your team, and the power of reflection. Kevin also shares actionable frameworks for improving personal and team performance, including evaluating what went well, what didn't, and future focuses.

Takeaways:

• Being a successful salesperson does not guarantee that someone will become a great sales leader. The qualities that make one an exceptional salesperson often differ from those required to lead a sales team effectively. Leadership demands selflessness and a focus on the team's success rather than individual achievements.
• Discipline is a cornerstone for succeeding as a leader. It’s necessary to be disciplined in how you use your limited resources—time, talent, and treasure—towards personal and team goals. This disciplined approach is crucial in navigating the myriad of distractions that leaders and their teams face daily.
• A great leader is characterized by their ability to trust their team members and provide them with opportunities for growth. Giving someone an opportunity often signifies trust and encourages leaders to be explicit in communicating this trust to their team members.
• Reflection is immensely powerful for your personal and team development. Use a structured reflection process, such as asking what went well, what didn’t, and what’s on one’s mind. This approach aids in continuously learning and improving, crucial for both leaders and their sales teams.
•  Leadership is not about having all the answers but about guiding your team to find answers themselves. A focus on coaching and developing people, rather than merely driving them to achieve targets, is pivotal for lasting success and team cohesion.
• Although it does not come naturally to everyone, it is important for leaders to develop empathy in order to connect with their team members and help them tackle whatever roadblocks they face.

Quote of the Show:

• “To be a great coach, you have to know what your team is responsible for producing and recognize that your success is predicated wholly on their success. Then you throw yourself into working with each of them to get better at their craft.” - Kevin Martin

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmartin4/ 
• Parchment Website: https://www.parchment.com/ 
• Instructure Website: https://www.instructure.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434 
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fd188af6-7c17-4b2e-a0b2-196ecd6fdf77 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale 

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