The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton

Scott Leese on Bridging the Gap Between Founders and VPs

Dec 25, 2024

Scott Leese, a seasoned sales leader and founder, shares his expertise on the vital partnership between VPs of Sales and Founders. He discusses strategies for aligning goals and hiring the right talent, emphasizing the importance of skills over industry experience. Scott also highlights the challenges of navigating early-stage recruitments and the necessity of thorough communication in high-stakes environments. His insights on mentorship and community engagement reveal how effective leadership can foster a healthy sales culture for growth.

01:19:58

Creator website

Episode guests

Scott Leese

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Understanding the distinct values of sales acumen over industry experience is crucial for identifying the right VP of Sales.

Open communication between founders and VPs of Sales is essential to align expectations and build trust in achieving sales goals.

Successful sales leadership involves developing future leaders by empowering emerging talents and fostering a supportive organizational culture.

Deep dives

Hiring the Right Sales Leadership

Finding the right VP of Sales is crucial, and it starts with understanding the difference between industry experience and essential sales acumen. Many founders erroneously prioritize candidates with prior industry experience, neglecting those with proven sales capabilities and a strong desire to build. Successful hires often come from those who may not have direct industry experience but who possess the skills necessary to develop and scale sales teams effectively. Therefore, it's important to focus on candidates who have successfully navigated similar growth stages and who demonstrate a high energy and urgency toward achieving results.

Intro

2min

Bridging the Gap: VP Sales and Founder Alignment in Tech

3min

Navigating Consulting and Community Engagement in Sales

3min

Navigating Sales Leadership in Startups

18min

Navigating Leadership Challenges and Customer Engagement

2min

Navigating Sales Leadership Transitions

25min

The Art of Sales Mentorship

4min

Founders and Sales Leaders: Navigating Alignment

23min

In this week's episode of the Revenue Leadership Podcast, host Kyle Norton sits down with Scott Leese, a seasoned sales leader and multi-time founder, to unpack the intricate dynamics between VPs of Sales and Founders. Scott shares invaluable insights on aligning strategies, hiring the right talent, and fostering effective communication in high-stakes environments. The conversation delves into the critical importance of vetting opportunities thoroughly, both for VPs of Sales and founders, emphasizing the need for stage-appropriate hires and realistic goal-setting. Scott also offers practical advice on navigating challenging conversations and maintaining alignment throughout the leadership journey.

If you like what you heard from Kyle today, make sure to follow The Revenue Leadership Podcast for new episodes every Wednesday.

Want more content from the Topline media family?

Listen to Topline Podcast with Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno, and Asad Zaman.

Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners.

Subscribe to Topline Newsletter written by Asad Zaman.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more