Nadja Komnenic head up sales for bootstrapped scale up, LEMlist. She is an elite sales leader who has helped LEMlist grow from $0 to $10m in ARR in 4 years. We discuss her approach to hiring, developing and listening to her people.
She is competitive, driven, ambitious and truly collaborative. She discusses the importance of demonstrating vulnerability as a manager to encourage individuals in her team to have a voice, and reach their full potential. In a time when 15% of salespeople are reported to be hitting quota, Nadja’s team are ALL achieving or exceeding quota consistently. Her people innovate once they have some basic skills. Her onboarding and training is practical, their process is developed through guided questioning, experimentation, intentionally allowing people to fail and learn. She ensures they have permission to speak freely, innovate, experiment because she recognises failure as her best teacher. She lets them fail in role in the moment, and is there to support them if they ask for help. She’s ready to step in if the business is at risk of failing, and then when they have enough to work out their own solution, she steps back and hands them the pen.
She also breaks down taboos and walls. It’s got her into trouble in the past but is serving her well in her current role. And what is exciting to see is Nadja is a shining example of just how far, how fast and how much can be accomplished by one person with the correct support, challenge and investment by leadership, in talent. Nadja beat the odds given her likely career path growing up when she did in Serbia. Yet in 6 years has made a speedy rise into management and sales leadership.
A rare quality is how she is passing on her depth of understanding of why people behave the way they do to her team. Her coaching on the job, in the moment, at the point of need is a quality you see in only around 2-6% of managers
This interview is a beacon of hope for the future. Nadja represents the best of the future of sales leadership and management. If you are new to management or aspire to rise to such a position, you would do well to listen to his episode. If you are an old school command and control style manager, listen to the difference in how Nadja manages, and the environment in which she and her team work.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: Nadja is growing her team so, if you want to work for a great boss in a fast growing company where you can develop your career and never be pressured to hard sell or pressurise a prospect so your investors can make a worthless valuation target, drop her a line. Remember, she gets strangers to engage every day, so be creative, memorable and relevant in your approach to her.
Contact Nadja via linkedin.com/in/nadjakomnenic
