Beyond the strategies and tactics of sales management, there’s a deeper element that shapes your long-term success:

Your ability to lead, influence, and inspire your team.

And interestingly, that success largely hinges on just two things:

• Your Character — the personal qualities that build trust and credibility.
• Your Skills — the relevant, up-to-date capabilities to drive results.

Great leadership blends both. One without the other won’t sustain influence over time.

Leadership = Influence

Let’s be clear: leadership is influence.
If you’re not positively influencing people to take action, change behaviour, or adopt a new perspective, you’re not leading.

Yet many sales leaders were promoted based on personal success — not leadership ability. This is especially common in sales, where top performers are often seen as natural choices for management roles. But selling and leading are fundamentally different skill sets.

Here’s the truth:
Whether you’re running a sales team, mentoring an individual, or guiding a client—you’re leading. And your ability to do it well has a profound impact on your results.

The Character-Skill Equation

Think of a few people you admire as leaders — past or present.
Now consider: what makes them great?
Most people instinctively name character traits: integrity, vision, courage, humility. Rarely do they list skills.

That’s because influence is earned through who you are just as much as what you can do.

People—your team, clients, peers—decide whether they will allow you to influence them. And they base that decision on two things:

• Your character (who you are), and
• Your skills (what you do and how well you do it).

This is important: they give you permission to lead. It’s not automatic. And it can be taken away just as quickly.

Yet when was the last time your company invested in developing your character as a leader? – Not very often I’d expect.

We focus heavily on skills training. But influence starts with character. Without trust, your skills won’t matter.

Three Attributes That Set Great Leaders Apart

There are many traits that define strong leadership. But here are three you can begin working on immediately—because they’re fully within your control.

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1. Sincerity

This is the foundation of trust. Sincerity is about being genuine in your motives, actions, and communication. It means living in alignment—your values showing up consistently in both personal and professional settings.

Once your team sees a double standard, you lose credibility.
True leadership begins with integrity.

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2. Commitment

Before your team commits to you, they’re asking:
How committed is this person asking me to commit?

Your commitment must be visible in your actions, not just your words.

Whether you’re an athlete, sales leader, or CEO, real commitment shows up in your performance, your learning habits, and your long-term goals.

No one leads well without being fully invested.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour.”
— Vince Lombardi

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3. Attitude

Attitude is a leadership multiplier.
Would your team describe you as optimistic? Grounded? Resilient?

Your attitude sets the emotional tone. And it’s a choice.

Optimism doesn’t mean ignoring reality—it means choosing to see opportunities and lead forward. The ability to control your mindset, manage negative thoughts, and respond intentionally to setbacks is what creates lasting influence.

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”
— W. Clement Stone

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Final Thought

Leadership isn’t about titles or tenure. It’s about who you are, how you show up, and the influence you earn.

So rather than simply reading and moving on, here’s a challenge:
Choose one of these attributes to intentionally develop this week.
Be specific. Apply it daily. Notice the shift in how others respond to you.

Because the more you grow, the more your influence—and results—will grow with you.

All the best,
Peter