Spot Your Next Sales Leader Before It’s Urgent

You’re about to promote a rep to fill a frontline manager role, and you’re scrambling. Sound familiar? Most sales leaders don’t realize they’re unprepared for management turnover until it’s too late. A top AE leaves, or a manager is promoted, and suddenly the team is in limbo.

The result? Slowed momentum, missed targets, and poor morale. The solution? Develop your next sales manager before the need arises.

Look Beyond Performance

High performers aren’t always high-potential leaders. While quota-crushing AEs often get tapped first, leadership and team management require a different skill set. It requires coaching, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and the ability to inspire trust. Watch for reps who:

• Informally mentor others
• Share best practices without being asked
• Demonstrate resilience after losses
• Ask insightful, team-focused questions in meetings

Define What Great Leadership Looks Like

Too often, companies promote based on urgency, not alignment. Clarify what your sales leadership team needs for the future. Is it someone who can lead a remote team? Drive RevOps integration? Coach cross-functionally?

Once those expectations are clear, work backward to identify internal candidates who can grow into that vision.

Create a Shadow Pipeline

Just as you build a pipeline of deals, create a shadow pipeline of potential leaders. Engage them in stretch assignments: peer coaching, onboarding new hires, or leading a QBR section. Provide feedback and visibility.

Incorporate these candidates into sales leadership development programs focused on the transition from rep to manager. Programs that teach sales team leader skills like time management, giving feedback, and leading 1:1s can help accelerate readiness.

Don’t Wait for the Vacancy

Succession planning shouldn’t start when someone resigns. It’s a proactive discipline that reduces risk and boosts morale. When your team sees a clear path to advancement, retention improves. The most successful sales orgs treat leadership development like revenue generation. It is intentional, measurable, and forward-looking.

Is your next great sales leader already on your team? Start preparing them now so you’re ready before the need is urgent.

Author - Siddhraj Thaker

Siddhraj is a budding content writer with a great passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail. With a degree in engineering and knack for marketing, backed with multiple internships, he brings a fresh perspective and coherent blend of creative, technical, and strategic thinking. Motivated to learn new things, he has a versatile writing style with an ability to craft compelling content that also aligns with business objectives.