A risky but potentially rewarding approach to leadership

Let’s say you are a sales manager. On your team are a few professionals who always do well, several average producers, and some marginal hangers on. Who do you invest your time with?

Do you divide it equally among them all? Or, do you help those who need you, and allow the others to succeed on their own? One sales manager’s unusual approach is this: help the best and forget the rest.

This manager devoted 80 percent of her time to the top third of her sales team.

She coached them, listened to their concerns, praised their efforts, and offered them continual encouragement.

Fifteen percent of her time she invested in recruiting new personnel. And the remaining five percent of her time was spent with the other members of her team. Despite complaints from the bottom two-thirds, she did not alter her style.

Many of the average and marginal producers became frustrated and quit. A few improved their performance so they could receive some attention too.

The top producers, of course, thought her approach was great and as a result, sales boomed. By helping her best people do even better, the sales manager earned far more profits for her organization than when she tried to help everyone. This unconventional approach to management was indeed risky, but it continued to produce outstanding results for years to come.