What makes a bad manager? What are some of the most common leadership mistakes that a manager can make when they’re in charge of a sales team? The first mistake many sales managers make is focusing too much on paperwork. If your salespeople are performing well, leave it alone. Sales reports generally won’t give you accurate information anyway because your sales team isn’t going to put genuine effort into doing them. A big part of what makes a bad manager is the tendency to let ego get in the way of performance. This is not about you. Your job is to remove barriers so that your sales team can be in the spotlight. Be the behind-the-scenes operator who allows everyone else to shine. Keep your ego at bay. Being a fair-weather fan when it comes to your salespeople is another of the most common sales leadership mistakes. Top performers tend to get plenty of attention because of their success. Low-level producers also get a lot of attention, because managers are continually trying to help them improve. But those salespeople who perform somewhere in the middle often get neglected. Take care of your mid-range sellers and turn them into top performers. Treat everyone like winners. The final of the killer leadership mistakes I notice frequently is the promotion of a top salesperson into a managerial position. Why is this problematic? Because what makes a bad manager is often what makes a great salesperson. Managers should be empathetic and eager to applaud the success of others. You’ll usually find the opposite personality type in great salespeople – which is why they’re great at what they do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices