Make It Happen Mondays | June 1, 2026
Be the mentor who mattered is not just the title of Colleen Stanley’s new book. It is a challenge to every sales leader sitting on experience someone else needs. In this episode, bestselling author and founder of SalesLeadership Colleen Stanley joins John to talk about the two things AI cannot replicate: emotional intelligence and meaningful mentorship. Both are now competitive advantages.
Listen on Captivate | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
About Colleen Stanley
Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership, a sales development firm specializing in the integration of emotional intelligence, sales, and sales leadership skills. She is the author of three books: Emotional Intelligence For Sales Success (published in eight languages), Emotional Intelligence For Sales Leadership, and Be the Mentor Who Mattered. She has spent decades making the case that EQ is not a soft skill. It is a revenue skill.
- Website: salesleadershipdevelopment.com
- LinkedIn: Colleen Stanley
- Free corporate sales training resources: salesleadershipdevelopment.com/resources
What you’ll learn
- Why self-awareness is the mega skill every sales leader needs, and how to actually develop it
- How to give feedback using empathy followed by assertiveness, without triggering defensiveness
- Why the best mentorship happens informally, not through assigned programs
- How one conversation from the right person can change someone’s entire trajectory
- Why mentorship cultures produce two times the profit of those without them
- How to find a mentee instead of waiting to be asked to mentor someone
The key insight
IQ is a commodity now. AI can out-think, out-research, and out-process almost anyone in the room. The leaders who will matter in this environment are the ones who can do what AI cannot: read the room, regulate their own reactions, and show up for the person in front of them.
Why this matters for sales leaders
If you lead a team, coach reps, or are trying to figure out what your competitive edge looks like in a world of AI, the answer is not a better prompt. It is the ability to develop other people, and the willingness to do it before someone asks you to.
Frequently asked questions
What is emotional intelligence and why does it matter in sales?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions, and to recognize and influence the emotions of others. In sales, it shows up as the ability to stay composed when a deal stalls, read what a buyer is actually feeling versus what they’re saying, and give feedback that lands without triggering defensiveness. Colleen’s research shows that EQ skills are directly tied to revenue outcomes. The rep who can regulate their own frustration after a bad call and make the next one with full presence will always outperform the one who cannot.
What does “be the mentor who mattered” mean in practice?
It means showing up for someone before they know they need you. The most impactful mentorship rarely comes from a formal program where someone is assigned to you. It comes from a leader who noticed something in you, said something specific, and kept showing up. Colleen’s argument is that every experienced sales leader has that kind of conversation in them. The question is whether they act on it or stay too busy.
How should sales leaders give feedback without triggering defensiveness?
Colleen’s framework is empathy followed by assertiveness. Start by acknowledging what the rep is dealing with before you get into what needs to change. That sequence lowers defensiveness because the person feels understood rather than attacked. Where most managers go wrong is leading with the correction and skipping the acknowledgment entirely, which puts the rep on the defensive before the real conversation even starts.
Why do mentorship cultures produce better financial results?
Companies with strong mentorship cultures report twice the profit of those without them, according to Colleen’s research. The mechanism is straightforward: mentored reps ramp faster, stay longer, and perform at higher levels because they have access to institutional knowledge and perspective that would take years to develop on their own. When leadership actively develops people, it also signals that growth is possible, which drives retention and engagement in ways that compensation alone does not.
How do you find someone to mentor if no one has asked you?
Stop waiting to be asked. Look at the people on your team or in your network who are asking the right questions, showing up with energy, and trying things even when they’re uncomfortable. Those are the people who will get the most out of your experience. Reach out directly. One honest conversation about what you’ve learned and what you wish you’d known earlier is worth more than most formal development programs.
Make It Happen Mondays is hosted by John Barrows, sales trainer to Salesforce, LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, and Okta. New episodes drop every Monday. Subscribe and listen on all platforms.
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