Why You Should Train Sales Leaders Like Cats (Not Dogs)

Have you ever tried to put a leash on a cat? I’ve seen it done on extremely rare occasions, and that’s for good reason: cats aren’t having it. It's about as effective as generic leadership training is for sales managers. While dogs respond to structured commands and universal techniques, cats require finesse, timing, and an understanding of what truly motivates them. And I’m not calling them cats, but… the same principle can be applied to sales leadership development, and getting it wrong could be costing your organization millions in lost revenue.

Rebecca Gebhardt, founder and CEO of Rise Up Consulting, brought this compelling analogy to life during our recent webinar on sales leadership development aptly called The Leadership Lie: How Generic Leadership Training Is Killing Your Sales Potential. With over two decades of sales experience and a track record of transforming organizations through targeted leadership programs, she revealed why 40% of teams have no dedicated sales leadership development—and why those that do often miss the mark entirely.

The Fundamental Difference: Structure vs. Agility

Traditional leadership development programs work well for most roles because they follow predictable patterns. Operations, HR, and finance leaders benefit from structured, consistent frameworks that can unfold over years. Sales leaders, however, operate in a different reality entirely.

Sales leadership requires that you adapt, make decisions in real-time, and understand the competitive psychology that exists in the sales world. While a traditional leadership program might span two to three years, the average sales leader's tenure is just 18-19 months. So, there’s an urgent need for faster-paced, targeted training that connects learning and application in practical ways.

Consider the daily challenges sales leaders face: coaching in micro-moments, thinking clearly under immense pressure, and managing high-performing personalities with significant egos, etc. These scenarios demand specialized training that generic programs simply cannot address.

Five Dangerous Lies About Sales Leaders

Several persistent myths continue to sabotage sales leadership development efforts across organizations:

1. The first lie suggests that great salespeople automatically become great sales leaders. Individual drive and closing skills differ dramatically from the coaching, empathy, and strategic planning abilities that leadership demands. This misconception clogs succession planning and prevents organizations from building true bench strength.
   
   
2. Another dangerous assumption positions sales leaders as merely charismatic motivators. While motivation is a factor, effective sales leadership requires rigorous data analysis, skilled deal coaching, accurate forecasting, and a deep understanding of individual team members' strengths and development needs.
   
   
3. The third lie claims sales leaders learn best through experience alone, eliminating the need for structured training. Research shows that 80% of sales leaders receive zero training upon promotion, forcing them to fall back on potentially ineffective leadership styles they've previously experienced.
   
   
4. Organizations also mistakenly assume all sales leaders require identical training. The reality is that dramatic variations to training styles are often necessary based on product complexity, sales cycles, target markets, and leadership levels. Leading a transactional inside sales team demands entirely different skills from managing a consultative outside sales organization.
   
   
5. Finally, many companies treat sales leadership development as a one-time event, typically delivered during annual kickoffs or conferences. The rapidly evolving nature of sales technology, market conditions, and leadership challenges requires continuous learning and adaptation.

Non-Negotiables for Sales Leadership Programs

Successful sales leadership development programs must incorporate specific elements that generic training overlooks. 

First, measuring program impact through robust assessment strategies is essential. This includes conducting before-and-after evaluations using tools like 360-degree feedback and leadership competency assessments, while tracking business metrics including engagement scores, pipeline health, and team retention.

Defining success creates the foundation for everything else. Organizations must clarify the talents, mindset, behaviors, skills, and performance expectations for sales leadership roles. This five-column framework encourages intentional conversations and alignment that many companies skip entirely.

Playing to strengths transforms program effectiveness and participant engagement. When development focuses on maximizing inherent strengths rather than fixing weaknesses, leaders become more energized, effective, and successful. This approach also shifts organizational perception from "remedial training" to "advanced development for top performers."

Strengthening relationships builds the psychological safety necessary for growth. Leadership is inherently about people, and great programs create genuine connections between all involved. A simple strategy, like a shared meal, can break down barriers and foster the sense of belonging that accelerates development.

Including practice opportunities ensures the transfer of skills beyond theoretical knowledge. Like learning to ride a bike, leadership requires hands-on experience in safe environments. Realistic scenarios, role-playing exercises, and uncomfortable practice sessions build confidence and competence.

Powerful sales-specific content addresses the unique challenges sales leaders face every day. Rather than adapting generic frameworks, effective programs tackle urgent sales situations, like coaching high performers, managing complex deals, and maintaining team motivation during challenging, high-stress periods.

Executive sponsorship provides the strategic support and organizational credibility necessary for program success. This means senior leaders championing participants, removing roadblocks, and providing career guidance—not just budget approval.

The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong

Organizations that confuse generic leadership training with sales leadership development face significant consequences. Stunted sales growth occurs when inadequately trained leaders become bottlenecks to scaling efforts. High turnover rates plague both sales leaders and their teams, which creates expensive cycles of recruiting and onboarding.

Reactive leadership becomes the norm when leaders lack clear direction about priorities and best practices. Without proper development, sales leaders spend time addressing problems that aren't actually problems while opportunities to get ahead of real challenges pass them by.

Perhaps most critically, organizations fail to develop bench strength for future leadership needs. This leads to poor succession decisions based on tenure or past sales performance, rather than actual leadership potential and developed capabilities.

Switch Things Up

Even organizations without formal sales leadership programs can begin making immediate improvements. Shadow programs allow aspiring leaders to observe real leadership challenges without significant investment. Book clubs focused on leadership topics create great learning communities while subtly revealing who takes development seriously.

Stretch assignments provide hands-on leadership experience through the delegation of meaningful projects. And quarterly roundtables facilitate peer learning and problem-solving among current and aspiring leaders. Developing these low-cost initiatives now can create momentum for larger development investments later.

At ELB Learning®, we understand the unique challenge of developing sales leaders who drive revenue growth and team performance. Our leadership development packages and customized training programs beautifully address the unique needs of sales professionals. Our proven methodologies make the distinction between generic leadership training and sales-specific development, ensuring a tailored approach. Whether you're building your first sales leadership program or enhancing existing initiatives, our expert team can help you create sustainable leadership pipelines that support organizational scaling and revenue growth.

Watch the full webinar below to dive deeper into these strategies and see real-world examples of successful implementation.

If you want to learn more about ELB Learning's leadership development programs and discover how we can customize solutions for your sales organization's unique challenges, click here.

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Disclaimer: The ideas, perspectives, and strategies shared in this article reflect the expertise of our featured speaker, Rebecca Gebhardt. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn to explore more of her insights.