Leader Story: Fear of Change

“I don’t yell at people; I encourage them to be better.”

Mark was the best real estate salesperson anyone had ever seen. He was someone others wanted to have on their side, at their meetings, and on their projects. He was a winner. When the company he partially owned was purchased by a larger holding company, Mark cooperated with the sale and became the EVP of Sales, with a responsibility for all salespeople in the United States.

Mark was charming, good-looking, and an incredible extrovert. He was someone who openly cared for the business and its success. Management loved him, and they wanted Mark to stay on to mentor the next generation of salespeople.

The goals for business growth were enormous. The new company’s strategy was to add salespeople—and so the staff expanded from 250 to 450 almost overnight. It was up to Mark to instill the new talent with a sense of purpose and direction. He was anxious to rise to the challenge. He wanted to prove that he could deliver results for his new firm. Mark was now on the road supervising and overseeing the onboarding process for 200 new salespeople. However, he was also a new father. His position dictated that he travel during the week, and be home only on the weekends. He became tired and stressed by the demands of his new position.