The shift toward people-centric sales leadership has been gradual but is here to stay. In a cost-conscious, high-interest rate economy where profits are harder to secure and more candidates are available, organizations are no longer settling for someone who can merely do the job. Instead, they are focusing on how the job is done.
If revenue growth and decline are such universally accepted and critical performance indicators, why wouldn’t an organization prioritize attracting and retaining top-tier talent for the roles of chief revenue officer and the revenue team? Developing sales leadership skills is not an overnight endeavor; it typically takes at least a decade to become a truly effective sales leader.
Many sales professionals reach a pivotal moment around their first decade in the field, when they reflect on whether to continue as individual contributors, with limited leadership responsibilities, or to pursue a leadership path and begin managing sales teams. At this critical juncture, hiring teams should consider several factors about a candidate’s background: the culture of their previous companies, their mentors (as great sales leaders rarely develop in isolation), the key metrics used to measure their performance, their approach to overcoming initial challenges, among other aspects. Think of this as assessing the foundation of their sales career—how solid is it?
Also, consider the nature of your company’s revenue growth journey. Is it likely to be challenging, demanding a leader who has shown resilience, rather than one who has purely experienced growth? Since salespeople are adept at selling themselves, it is crucial to thoroughly vet candidates, including detailed reference checks and collaborating closely with your executive search partner to understand the environments in which these candidates have thrived.
“It’s hard to believe how you can be successful these days without leading with empathy and a human touch.”
CEO (recent hiring manager), global tech organisation
While relevant experience might seem indispensable, focusing solely on it can lead you to compete in the same limited talent pool. To broaden your options, consider meeting leadership talent from other sectors that share similarities or overlaps with yours. When doing so, it’s crucial to thoroughly assess their professional history—understanding where, what, why, when, and how they have operated. While many criteria are transferable across sectors, not just in tech, building a comprehensive and accurate profile of their career journey before they meet you is essential. This doesn’t mean they can’t adopt a new way of selling—many CROs have proven highly adaptable—but understanding these nuances from the start is key to a successful evaluation.
It is generally expected that a CRO and anyone in their senior team will excel at the fundamentals of sales leadership, from establishing sales processes and forecasting deals to managing performance and planning succession. A CRO should be outstanding in all client-facing aspects and competent in other areas like finance, legal, operations, and investor relations. Similarly, if you are a vertical leader within the senior team, expertise in your specific sector is a given. However, we are now seeing that it is not enough for CROs to merely perform their roles. They are demanding more from their sales leadership hires.
Before the pandemic in 2020, we observed some tech companies starting to prioritize people-centric CRO and sales leadership over traditional command-and-control styles. Despite this, top performers who consistently delivered revenue growth often succeeded, regardless of their methods. Fast forward just over three years, and mandates now commonly prioritize leadership style, making a people-centric approach essential rather than optional. But how do we assess this quality effectively with the help of an executive search partner?
While not exhaustive, here are some strategies for assessment:
When interviewing a potential CRO or senior revenue leader, consider the following
