--- title: What A Leader Must Do | The Sales Blog description: "Vision. Mission. Purpose. Then these: A leader must believe there is a way. Strategy is nothing without belief. And if you don’t believe, no one else will. A leader must be a teacher. A leader teaches business, teaches values, teaches strategy, teaches empathy, teaches tactics, teaches personal growth and development, teaches mentorship, teaches coaching, and […]" image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_122973715-copy.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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Mission. Purpose. Then these: 1. A leader must [believe](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/what-you-need-to-believe) there is a way. Strategy is nothing without belief. And if you don’t believe, no one else will. 2. A leader must be a teacher. A leader teaches [business](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/business-acumen-is-the-new-sales-acumen), teaches values, teaches strategy, teaches empathy, teaches tactics, teaches personal growth and development, teaches mentorship, teaches coaching, and teaches customer-focus. 3. A leader must help their team understand why something must be done. 4. A leader must [trust her people](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/on-not-creating-dependents-a-note-to-the-sales-leader) to accomplish their missions using tactics of their own choosing. She must build a team of people she trusts enough to use their own resourcefulness and creativity to reach their goals and overcome the inevitable obstacles. 5. A leader must instill a [spirit](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-spiritual-leader-of-the-sales-force), a confidence, an esprit de corpes in their followers. 6. A leader must nurture, sustain, and protect a healthy [culture](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/on-leaders-and-culture). 7. A leader must surround themselves with people who will tell them the ugly truth without fear, and the leader must reward their candor (and never punish it). 8. A leader must collect and share stories of people doing things right, living the purpose, and living the values. 9. A leader breathes life into the organization’s values by serving as an example of those values. 10. A leader must [build more leaders](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/the-potential-engine-a-note-to-sales-leadership) out his followers, knowing that every follower is someone else’s leader—or will be soon. 11. A leader must make himself dispensable. 12. A leader must be decisive. They must make the tough calls. 13. A leader must do what is unpopular when it is necessary, and they must explain why they made the decision so that others may understand. This is especially true when people’s lives are effected by those decisions. 14. A leader must [care more than anyone else](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/care-more-than-they-do). 15. A leader must go first when it comes to the most difficult challenges. 16. A leader must be entrenched in the details. 17. A leader must accept responsibility and must be accountable for the decisions they take. These are some things a leader must do. #### Questions What do leaders do? What makes a leader effective? What are a leader’s most important priorities? What would you want from a leader?   ###### Tags: [Leadership](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/leadership) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on January 6, 2014 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![how-to-lead-ebook-v3-1-cover (3)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/how-to-lead-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(3).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=how-to-lead-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(3).jpg) ### How to Lead: The Leadership E-Book As leaders, we're faced with decisions everyday—not all of which are easy to make. Learn how to make those tough decisions, hold yourself and your team accountable, and build a legacy with How to Lead: The Leadership E-Book. [![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d345d648-812a-428a-81e4-53ce30822212.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d345d648-812a-428a-81e4-53ce30822212) ## Are You Ready To Solve Your Sales Challenges? ![Anthony-Solve-Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthony-Solve-Sales.png?width=290&height=221&name=Anthony-Solve-Sales.png) Hi, I’m Anthony. I help sales teams make the changes needed to create more opportunities & crush their sales targets. What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2024-09-11T10:46:42 AM", "datePublished" : "2014-01-06 21:00:05", "description" : "Vision. Mission. Purpose. Then these: A leader must believe there is a way. Strategy is nothing without belief. And if you don’t believe, no one else will. A leader must be a teacher. 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