Sales tips, leadership communication skills insight and more from Steve Giglio, sales training professional for more than 25 years.

Finishing Strong: The Leadership Mindset for Q4

As we enter the fourth quarter, it’s time to reflect—not just on the numbers, but on the people behind them. While performance metrics and KPIs matter, a strong leader knows that year-end reporting isn’t just about hitting targets. It’s about understanding how your team got there—and what that journey reveals.

Start by asking the right questions:

  • Who on your team stepped up and showed leadership this year?
  • Who consistently solved problems independently?
  • Who thrived under pressure and became someone you could count on during a crisis?

Recognizing these contributions isn’t just about praise—it’s about identifying your future leaders. These individuals are shaping the culture of your team and laying the groundwork for continued success.

At the same time, you need to take an honest look at underperformance:

  • Who struggled to meet expectations?
  • Who needed more support or clearer direction?
  • Who faltered when the pressure increased?

These insights are just as important. Q4 isn’t just a finish line—it’s also your last opportunity to course-correct. Whether that means offering additional coaching, shifting responsibilities, or setting new expectations, there’s still time to make an impact before the year ends. I recommend that you meet with direct reports. Begin the conversation by highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement. Ask them what they would like to make for a strong end to the year. A client of mine just completed this conversation and is enjoying a new level of transparency with their direct report. The person is more candid now and is beginning to offer his own solutions.

Strong leaders use the fourth quarter not only to measure success but to shape it. Ask the right questions now, and you’ll be better equipped to report the kind of progress—and potential—that drives your organization forward.

When Your Boss Won’t Talk to You

Make Them Want To!

In our ongoing series about standing out, speaking up, and avoiding obsolescence in an AI-saturated world, another headline from the Wall Street Journal jumped out: “Your Boss Doesn’t Have Time to Talk to You.”

That’s a tough truth—but also a wake-up call.

Managers today are pulled in every direction. Time is scarce, and who do they make time for? Their high performers. If you’re not getting the attention you want, the challenge is clear: make yourself unmissable.

You might be thinking, “Sure, but that’s easier said than done.” To that I say: only if you say so. So stop saying it. Do something about it.

High Performers Aren’t Born—They’re Built

It starts with a decision. A personal commitment. Instead of waiting for your manager to change, look inward. Review your recent work and how you’ve been showing up—for your boss, your clients, and your teammates. Then ask: what needs to change?

5 Steps to Earn—and Keep—Your Boss’s Attention

Here’s a practical approach to shifting how you’re perceived:

  1. Pick One Behavior to Improve
    Look back at your last review or feedback session. What’s one behavior, if changed, that would immediately elevate how you’re seen?

  2. Experiment With It
    Growth starts with trying new things. As leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith says, “Without experimentation, there is no growth.”

  3. Declare Your Intent
    Tell your boss the behavior you’re working on. Not only does this set the expectation—it invites them to start noticing the shift.

  4. Apply It in Real Situations
    Choose three current relationships or communications where you can apply this new competency. Make sure they’re visible and impactful.

  5. Reflect and Iterate
    After each interaction, evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Use this to strengthen your approach in the next one.

Recently, I worked with a new client who was laser-focused on being seen as a high performer. He was anxious—but determined. With some coaching, he began experimenting, and he nailed it. He’s now on to his next behavior shift, building on his momentum.

If you’re ready to start changing how you’re seen—and want a guide along the way—give me a call.

Let’s make your boss want to talk to you.

Tough Conversations with Employees Are Helpful

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Leaner, Meaner Chevron
Leaders need to be more decisive, take accountability for failures, and have uncomfortable conversations about poor performance.

Changing Their Perspective

Ahh, yes, the uncomfortable conversation. Often, I coach executives on how to initiate and manage difficult conversations. People feel a sense of dread when approaching such talks and have a strong desire to avoid confrontation. I start by guiding them to a different way of looking at the situation as a leader.

First, it requires an understanding that there is a great impact in NOT helping transform detrimental behavior. Letting someone know that the way they are currently acting and performing is hurting their professional development is a good thing. Often, the direct report is unconscious of the inappropriate behavior. Furthermore, they are unaware of the impact on themselves, their supervisor, and the ecosystem in which they work. In my experience, when you present these facts, most direct reports realize that they must evolve and appreciate the observations as a contribution, not a criticism.

Bigger Than Themselves

Second, these types of conversations are a good time to remind someone that they are part of something bigger. To that, I was moved by an article written by Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. In it, she wrote:

America is about work, and we respect it.
Hard work means good America
We work to belong to something
To not be alone
Work is an act of stewardship; it helps things continue

It’s quite poignant to realize you are part of something…that you are relied upon…and that you matter.

As we face these turbulent times, it’s essential to strengthen our relationships with our peers and then present our idea. Developing trust with your direct reports is key. They must trust that you will tell them the good and bad equally and with a goal of enhancing their role, not diminishing it. When they see value in what you’re communicating, they will be open to your input.

As an example, I’m working with a client now who has been put off by the complicated conversation he needs to have with his CEO. We walked through the value of his idea to the CEO. It was strong but needed to state more clearly the benefit to the CEO so that he could collaborate on the solution. We also focused on what impact inaction would have, which could have ripple effects. The good news is that the CEO appreciated the heads-up and is now following up with his direct report to resolve it.

So, whether you are planning a tough conversation with a direct report, a client or your supervisor, tailor it so that the message clearly get through by relating it to their situation. That will open their minds to being receptive to your recommendations and have them feel they “belong to something.”

Can AI Replace You and Your Team?

“If you don’t think about your future, you cannot have one.”

-John Galsworthy

Like it or not, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay!

The Wall Street Journal recently shared in their June 21-22, 2025, article, “The Incredible Shrinking Company,” an essential quote from Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, “The best leaders get the most done with the least number of resources required to do the job.”

Translated for today, that means companies may be embracing AI to do tasks normally performed by workers, which could result in people being replaced by machines. While this may seem like a new and scary scenario, it’s not. Having your team considered as a commodity and easily replaceable is an all-too-real threat. Your objective is to get your team to think and act like they are invaluable to your clients/customers.

Every day, I work with executives and teams to promote and coach them toward this goal. Most people enjoy being shaped, developed, and directed. And they will strive to have you and their clients consider them a trusted advisor. The ones that don’t be wary of.

Therefore, the more you engage with your team and highlight their strengths and areas for development, the more they’ll perform for you. As a leader, you need to elicit a second and tertiary effort from everyone on your team to demonstrate their high level of performance through the results they produce. You also need to promote your team upward to your superiors to make sure they understand the achievements you are making.

Begin with one-on-one meetings with each person. Determine with them what they want to achieve and be straight with them relative to their developmental areas you see needing attention. This creates a coaching bond between you and them. Then, begin to celebrate their growth. The more you do this, the more your team will outperform. People crave acknowledgement, so be sure you give it to them.

Who knows what the future of AI holds and what jobs may fall in favor of the “least number of resources required.” So for now, find ways to demonstrate your value and that of your team. Make sure your clients know that they are being cared for by real humans who not only understand their “up-at-night” pain points but stay in it with them to figure out solutions together.

Summer Downtime is Summer Uptime

I often invoke Albert Einstein’s phrase; “I never worry about the future; it comes soon enough.”

And does it apply to us, NOW!

Other than those living on a remote island, everyone from Singapore to NY is feeling and experiencing a global, profound, unnecessary upheaval in business and our personal lives, including you I assume. I’m hearing and feeling this every day. Where there was trust and tailwinds with a service firm or financial firm, there is now worry, skepticism, and headwinds.

But guess what…your clients are feeling it, too!

And now we enter the summer shoulder season, with half-year projections to compare and contrast, goals to assess, and, oh yeah, many people leaving the office for one or two-week stretches. Your clients may be struggling to maintain momentum, so be there for them!

It is essential to know your client’s challenges and, from this knowledge, design proactive, unique solutions/recommendations to strengthen their business. Summer is the perfect time for these actions steps.

I’ve designed this with two clients this past week.

One project directly mitigated the tariff situation by designing an offering that will drive domestic incremental business to them. We mutually discovered this through listening to one another and framing the exact challenge that needed to be addressed.

The coaching point is supercharging your listening to uncover your client’s challenges through the summer. What better way to position yourself as an advisor to them in preparation for your Q3 and Q4 solutions!

The Position is Yours…Now What?

One of the many joys of coaching is following clients through their professional trajectory and contributing further to them once they’ve achieved a highly skilled, C-suite position within an organization.

A pattern I’ve noticed that needs to be transformed is when a new hire sits back and waits for their CEO/CCO/Board to direct them once they start.

OMG…No!

Is that emphatic enough?

Among your strong qualities, I’m going to bet one of them is your ability to smartly, relationally take initiative. And the expectation is…you will start doing that on day one!

Recently, I coached a marvelous client through this process. Here’s how we broke down this excellent opportunity for him and his action steps to achieve carte blanche with his CEO.

Job #1: Establish yourself as an expert in your field who commands hundreds of dollars per hour for your services. Note: This is in your mind, not literally. The goal here is to realize that the executive hiring you NEEDS you. If he could do the job without you, he/she would! From the very start, you need to help by giving them confidence that you can handle whatever comes your way. Give them that peace of mind and you’ve won them over. To that end…

Job #2: Within 48 hours of your hiring, ideally even before your first day, sit down with your boss and define the specific goals needed to achieve success, understand the commercial challenges, and absorb the vision the company has for you in the position. This is mission-critical. You must understand and affirm them; it shows transparency and alignment.

Job #3: Create your 90-day plan. This roadmap will include your onboarding, essential meetings with your peer set, and an outline of your team’s overall development. This step alone will allow your supervisor to know that soon, you will be managing elements of the work that have been causing stress. That’s a big relief in just 90 days!

Job #4: Get agreement on the future. You both need to be 100 percent bought in on where things need to go, how they are going to get there, and who is going to handle what. Mutually creating a vision for the future of the department that puts you in a strong position before you’ve really even started is a very bold and strong step!

Result:

I worked these steps with my client as he embarked on his new position. His CEO was blown away. Not only was he appreciative, but he admitted not fully realizing the valuable intricacies of the job until my client was in it.

Stand Up, Speak Up, Persuade

Have you ever thought about something for too long without acting on it?

Well, this post is mine.

I realized this as I completed my address to the police sergeants of major US cities who had gathered for a conference in Nashville. I was invited to speak by their president whom I coached extensively last year. Through our work together, he became a confident, articulate, and concise speaker.

My presentation focused on persuading their respective memberships to understand and accept their ideas/recommendations and convince politicians and government representatives to agree with their strategic plans.

From this talk and previous interviews with the sergeants, I realized they all struggled to communicate their ideas with their constituents. Painfully so. This really impacted me. It also reinforced my north star of helping others communicate with confidence no matter the audience.

The best part of the talk was illustrating, through one of their members, how to control a large meeting when presenting a controversial course of action. To succeed with the coaching make-over, I met with the sergeant virtually several times so that I could understand the challenges he faced with his constituency. He had to deliver an important, highly controversial recommendation to his fellow sergeants and position it from their perspective. He practiced it multiple times. He then delivered it to his constituency a few months before the Nashville meeting and got approval!

In Nashville, now having the confidence to deliver this message, we simulated his original meeting to illustrate the essence of the message and how he controlled the crowd. I realized from the extensive Q&A portion of my talk how important, mastering these skills were to everyone who attended.

The epiphany I’m sharing is that if they can master this, so can you!

Here’s what it takes.

Step #1: Know your audience/listener and what the benefit is to them from agreeing with you

Step #2: Briefly state your recommendation.

Step #3: Restate the benefit to THEM from accepting your idea

Model your recommendation on these three steps and you’ll have newfound confidence in what you’re delivering…a key ingredient to having anyone get on board with your insights!

Accountability Is Not a Bad Thing

I realize that many of us cringe whenever we hear the word accountability.

We hear it and think:

  • What does he mean?
  • Is she auditing my work?
  • Does this mean I’m not doing well?
  • Am I about to get a whole lot more work to do?

Accountability is not, nor should it be, a bad thing. However, in my experience, many people take it that way. It’s your job as a team leader to instill accountability in your teams so that they realize it’s just a way to benchmark their accomplishments. Now…doesn’t that sound better?

Well, to use oft quotes phrase, that “says easy, does hard.” Many employees fear being held accountable because so much of the time, managers use this as a cloak for their real purpose: reprimand. Don’t do that!

Your team wants to know how it is doing collectively and each individual wants to where they stand based on goals. So, a question to ask them all is, “What must we do differently to achieve the goals we set forth in January?” When you set the table with that question, it allows everyone to feel a part of moving things forward. Had you asked, “Why haven’t we accomplished our goals?” that put everyone in defense mode. And as you likely know, it’s hard to get anything positive to happen when people are guarded against new ideas.

So, here are a few steps I recommend you use to influence your team in such a way that they realize the ownership they have in the overall goals:

Step #1: Commit to making it healthy and FUN

Step #2: Reread Step #1

Step #3: Meet with each person separately and ask them what they’d like to strengthen.

Step#4: Together, determine the credentialing projects that will yield this development. Here’s the secret to making it fun: You both commit to these credentialing projects together. This shows the direct report that they are not alone in this journey. It tells them you’re there to cheer them on and adjust/correct them when you see them going off-purpose.

Step#5: Measure Success. This accountability step measures the achievement of these credentialing projects once a week and at the end of every month. The idea is to celebrate what’s been achieved and mutually determine the next step in the achievement process. Do this and each person will feel a responsibility towards the goals the team, as a whole, is working to achieve.

Oh…and one last tip…the more positive you are, the more engaged and committed your direct report will be. Make sure you openly acknowledge hard work and dedication. Sure, maybe the results weren’t there but you can work on that. What you are trying to do is instill responsibility and accountabiliity. After that, the results will come!

 

 

Develop Your Code of Conduct

“He assembled and analyzed sets of data and facts, drew sound conclusions, and expressed those conclusions in a clear, convincing form.”

-General Mosely referring to Dwight D. Eisenhower

This says it all to me: I like Ike! Being able to communicate effectively is both a skill and an art. Unfortunately, in today’s world of instant communication, both are suffering in favor of speed. As you prepare presentations, make sure you have developed a code of conduct that will influence how your message gets across.

Amazingly, up to 85% of our communications are judged by how clear, concise, and declarative we are. Of course, there is never a substitute for sound content. However, how that content is delivered makes or breaks its success. That is why I use video recordings of my clients to show them how they are presenting their message. This practice is paramount to what I do. It is very powerful to study yourself on video and discover the subtle but essential techniques to comport yourself. Every time a client sees themselves via video, they inevitably pick out deficiencies in their delivery style. Of course, they sometimes need a little help from me to get there!

Proof of this lies with a client with who I’ve just worked. Until we recorded his delivery, he didn’t realize how tentative and wandering his critical board communications were. His content was solid as was his knowledge of the subject matter. However, after viewing his performance, he remarked, “Wow, I’m not motivated by this!” Imagine how his audience felt!

Being able to visually see things you are doing that detract from your message is huge! And luckily, his delivery was clear, crisp, and inspiring within one hour!

This is my wish for you and all my clients this year: to be heard, followed, and needed.

My 2025 Will Be Affirming

This year, I’m dedicating my effort to affirming others well before I solve their commercial challenges.

I often observe in others their impetuousness to be heard rather than learning from others first and then contributing their knowledge.

The first program I deliver to new clients focuses on understanding the client’s business before solving problems. I apply that to my own business development work, too. It’s important to me that, as I always say, I listen first, sell second.

Great consulting and advising begins with client affirmation. Listening to a client’s issues is a pillar of this effort. If you demonstrate that you heard them when they communicated their challenges and you can recite them back, you’ve just moved the needle towards becoming their trusted advisor. You cannot be seen or heard as highly insightful without affirming your client’s challenges and the impact they have on their firm’s business. The solution must be taught to them from their admission of their challenges.

Succeeding at this dramatically aids us in making a difference to someone, which is why we do what we do. Many years ago, a wise client of mine shared his primary operating principle: Give, Love, Serve. Looking for my 2025 resolution…well there you have it!

Good success this year!