Hey there, Nathan Jamail here!
Let’s talk about leading by example—because let’s be honest, nobody likes a micromanager.
If you’re constantly breathing down your team’s necks, checking every email, critiquing every call, and running every deal through your approval, guess what? You’re not leading. You’re suffocating. And instead of building a high-performing sales team, you’re probably frustrating them, killing their confidence, and making them second-guess every move.
But here’s the good news—you don’t have to micromanage to get results. In fact, the best sales leaders do the opposite. They set the standard, coach their teams, and create a culture where success is expected—not forced.
So, how do you lead by example and inspire success without micromanaging? Let’s break it down.
Be the Standard (Not Just the Rulemaker)
Here’s a hard truth: You can’t expect your team to do what you’re unwilling to do yourself.
+ If you want your team to make calls, you better be making calls.
+ If you want them to sharpen their skills, you better be coaching and improving, too.
+ If you expect accountability, you better hold yourself accountable first.
Sales leaders who demand effort but don’t put in effort themselves? Nobody respects them. The best leaders set the tone through action, not just words. That’s the essence of leading by example—showing your team what excellence looks like rather than just talking about it.
How to Put This into Action:
- Make the calls, do the work – Jump in the trenches with your team. Lead by doing, not just directing.
- Be consistent – Don’t just talk about best practices on Monday and ignore them on Friday. Your actions set the culture—every single day.
- Stay sharp – Keep learning, improving, and leading from the front. If you’re stagnant, your team will be too.
Pro Tip: Want your team to practice sales roleplays? Start by role-playing yourself—and let them critique YOU. It builds trust and shows them you’re committed to growth, too.
Trust Your Team (But Hold Them Accountable)
There’s a huge difference between leading with trust and micromanaging out of fear. If you’ve hired good people, let them do their jobs. Your job isn’t to babysit—it’s to support, coach, and develop.
BUT—and this is a big but—trust doesn’t mean a free pass. Holding your team accountable is part of leading by example. You wouldn’t accept excuses from yourself, so don’t accept them from your team.
How to Put This into Action:
- Set clear expectations – Make sure every rep knows exactly what’s expected of them. No guessing. No excuses.
- Coach, don’t correct – Instead of jumping in to “fix” everything, ask questions that help your team solve problems themselves.
- Give autonomy, but inspect what you expect – Trust them to do the work, but check in regularly to keep them on track.
Pro Tip: If a rep isn’t performing, don’t immediately take over—help them diagnose the issue and develop their own solutions. Growth happens when people learn to problem-solve, not when leaders do it for them.
Communicate Clearly & Often
A lot of leaders think they’re “giving their team space,” but in reality, their team just feels lost and disconnected. There’s a difference between not micromanaging and not communicating.
If your reps don’t know what’s expected, where they stand, or how they’re doing, that’s a leadership failure.
How to Put This into Action:
- Have regular check-ins – Not just to review numbers, but to provide coaching, support, and feedback.
- Be transparent – If things need to improve, say so. If things are going well, recognize it. No mixed signals.
- Encourage open dialogue – Make it easy for your team to come to you with concerns, ideas, and questions.
Pro Tip: Weekly one-on-ones shouldn’t just be about reviewing reports—they should be development-focused conversations that help your reps grow.
Make Learning & Growth Part of the Culture
The best sales teams never stop improving. They practice. They roleplay. They seek out coaching. But if your team isn’t doing that, guess what? It starts with you.
If you want your team to be constantly improving, you need to set the standard and make learning non-negotiable.
How to Put This into Action:
- Turn team meetings into practice sessions – Instead of just reviewing numbers, use them to sharpen skills, handle objections, and roleplay real scenarios.
- Invest in ongoing training – Conferences, coaching, books, podcasts—whatever helps your team get better.
- Encourage peer learning – Have top performers share strategies that are working for them.
Pro Tip: When leaders actively participate in training, the team takes it more seriously. If you treat learning as optional, so will your team.
Recognize & Celebrate Success (Big & Small!)
People want to feel valued, seen, and appreciated. If the only time your reps hear from you is when something’s wrong, you’ve got a leadership problem.
Recognition fuels motivation, engagement, and momentum. The best leaders don’t just focus on what’s missing—they also highlight what’s working.
How to Put This into Action:
- Publicly recognize wins – Shout out top performers in team meetings, emails, or Slack channels.
- Celebrate improvement – Not just big wins, but progress and effort, too.
- Make success fun – Competitions, incentives, or even just a simple “great job” go a long way.
Pro Tip: If you want a team that’s excited to win, make winning feel exciting and rewarding.
Final Thoughts: Lead Like the Leader You’d Want to Follow
If you want a high-performing, engaged, and motivated sales team, it all starts with how you lead.
+ Micromanaging doesn’t create success—coaching does.
+ Controlling every move doesn’t build trust—setting the standard does.
+ Overloading your team with rules doesn’t drive motivation—recognition does.
Ask yourself: Would YOU want to work for YOU? If the answer isn’t a strong yes, it’s time to make some changes.
So, step up. Lead by example. Set the standard. Coach more, control less. And watch your team rise to the occasion.
