Bill Campbell, the consummate salesman and sales leader passed away last week. I never had the opportunity to work with Bill and met him only a handful of times. His reputation as a leader, mentor, provoker and counselor is legendary.
His passing leaves a void. You see, Silicon Valley is all about the next great app, the disruptive product, the multi-billion dollar valuation. What Silicon Valley isn't so much about is cultivating leaders. You may not agree with some of Bill's principles or his methods but from what I understand, you knew where you stood with him.
So, the questions is...WHO WILL BE THE NEXT BILL CAMPBELL?
Will you as the head of a sales organization or a company devote time to mentoring and developing leaders? Is your focus on product or people? I think Bill would argue that it's people that make the difference, not product. Many of you might disagree but I think he was spot on.
You may not want to become the "next" Bill Campbell but I challenge you to adopt some of his practices:
1) Mentor
2) Give back
3) Speak candidly
If I have to define those characteristics for you then you probably won't accept the challenge. Should these words resonate then put them to practice.
There may not ever be another Bill Campbell but there can be leaders who take up the mantle of what he stood for.
This is our challenge.
