Learn Management Fundamentals
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Describe the value of effective people leadership.
- List the behaviors defined within our manager-behavior framework.
- Recognize how great leaders demonstrate behaviors day to day.
The Value of Effective People Leadership
You may have heard the saying, “Great leaders aren’t born; they’re made.” But what does that mean, exactly? At Salesforce, it means that we nurture and support our people leaders—regardless of their role, title, or tenure—throughout their entire development journey. We invest in their success so that they can build great teams that deliver great work. The result is that people leaders are the #1 driver of employee engagement and retention at Salesforce.
Effective leadership is vital not only to Salesforce’s success, but also to business as a whole. According to Gallup, when businesses increase their number of talented managers, they double employee engagement, achieving, on average, more than 147% higher earnings per share than their competitors.
The numbers don’t lie when it comes to the business value of great leadership, but numbers are not all that matter. At Salesforce, we want our people leaders to demonstrate day-to-day behaviors that not only grow the business, but also build relationships, inspire and motivate, and ultimately create and support our unique Salesforce culture.
Our Manager Framework
The first step toward achieving these goals is to clearly define what makes a leader great. At Salesforce, we did this by asking senior leaders across the company:
- What does it mean to be a great people leader at Salesforce?
- What are the behaviors you’re looking for in someone who is great versus average?
Then, we used the responses to develop a framework that defines the behaviors expected of managers and their corresponding values. Take a look.
| Value | Manager Behaviors |
|---|---|
|
Trust |
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Customer Success |
|
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Innovation |
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Equality & Sustainability |
|
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Leadership |
|
This framework provides us with a consistent, common language to discuss greatness at Salesforce; set expectations for performance; and help us hold one another accountable. But keep in mind that the frameworks aren’t set in stone. We continually redefine what great looks because:
- Salesforce requires new forms of people leadership as we continue to rapidly grow and become more complex and global every day.
- Employees want more structured support in this changing environment.
- People leaders are eager to learn more about how to successfully lead at Salesforce.
Demonstrating Manager Behaviors at Salesforce
So, what do manager behaviors look like in action? Let’s take a look at a few examples of how great Salesforce people leaders demonstrate a few of the behaviors in their daily work.
Meet Soledad
Soledad is a superstar people leader! Because she collaborates closely with the members of her team, they’ve learned to work effectively and efficiently with other teams, partners, and customers (Build Trusted Relationships). Soledad and her team members have no fear of speaking up and sharing different perspectives (Demonstrate Courage) because she makes everyone on the team feel seen, heard, and respected (Lead with Equality & Inclusion). She believes that every member of her team has great ideas to contribute and emphasizes that through their focused team effort, they all win together (Inspire & Align Teams).
Meet Mo
Mo’s team loves working with him. Why? Because he makes sure every member on the team knows what their role and responsibilities are—and makes his own intentions as a people leader known (Take Accountability). He sets clear goals for the team, outlines the steps needed to achieve those goals (Set Strategy & Direction), and consistently supports team members in their efforts to reach those goals (Coach for High Performance). But that’s not all—He enthusiastically encourages his team to pursue learning opportunities and explore new ideas (Experiment & Iterate and Embrace Change).
Meet Ciara
Great managers are courageous communicators, and Ciara is no exception. She doesn’t shy away from having candid conversations and is bold when sharing her point of view (Demonstrate Courage). She offers constructive feedback respectfully and empathetically (Act with Integrity) and listens carefully when she solicits feedback about her own performance as a people leader (Communicate Effectively). Ciara’s active-listening skills allow her to quickly identify issues her team is having and offer and contribute to solutions (Identify & Solve Problems).
As you can see, at Salesforce, we’re very clear about what effective leadership looks like and hold our people accountable for what they do and how they do it. Do you know what’s expected of you as a leader? If you aren’t sure, ask! When you know what’s expected, it’s easier to identify your strengths and opportunities for improvement. That’s your chance to go from good to great.
Head on over to the next unit to learn why it’s important to be self-aware as a people leader and the value of feedback in developing your leadership skills.
