Applied Systems Product Management Team

Describe your leadership philosophy as it relates to employee engagement.

My leadership philosophy is built on the belief that iron sharpens iron. I don’t view myself as the person with all the answers; instead, my role is to create an environment where the team can challenge, support and learn from one another. Engagement starts with clarity; every team member should know exactly where we’re headed, what’s expected and how their work ties back to our larger goals. And most importantly, at the leadership level — consistency. Consistency in expectations, consistency in feedback and consistency in how you engage with your team.

Transparency tools like dashboards, leaderboards and visual progress gauges make performance visible and drive accountability. Just as importantly, engagement comes from recognition. Whether it’s a quick shout-out in Slack, spotlighting someone’s effort in a huddle or running a themed contest, consistent recognition ensures people feel seen and valued. When that happens, they bring energy, creativity and ownership to the work every day.

What types of resources — coaching, tools training, mentorship, etc. — does your team leverage to keep sellers engaged? How does this engagement directly impact their success and the success of the business?

We’ve built a rhythm of structured learning and reflection into the way we operate. Our team philosophy is, “Be better than you were yesterday.” Some of the ways we do that is collectively as a larger team. Our vice president holds regular skill development sessions where we tackle broader topics like, “asking for the business” or we have roundtable discussions about what’s working in prospecting efforts or strengthening our differentiation messaging. 

For my team specifically, while we do things like deal reviews and strategy, we also lean into personal and professional development.  We do this every other week, where team members rotate as presenters. They bring in a resource — a podcast, article or video — and lead a group discussion. What started as a simple book club has evolved into a broader professional and personal development forum that keeps the team curious and sharp.  

In addition, we run quarterly business reviews, where we step back to evaluate performance, review pipeline health and set forward-looking strategies as a team. These sessions aren’t just about metrics; they’re about honest reflection and shared learning.

On the day-to-day side, I provide coaching in one-on-ones, and we use dashboards to keep performance transparent. We also run creative contests that make progress fun and visible. One recent example was a football-themed contest, the Two-Minute Drill, where reps “scored touchdowns and field goals” by hitting sales metrics. The competition boosted production, but more importantly, it sparked camaraderie. Reps were trading tips, coaching each other and celebrating teammates’ wins as if they were their own.

The impact of this engagement is clear: stronger pipelines, higher quota attainment and better close rates. But equally important is the cultural impact — a team that trusts one another, collaborates naturally, challenges each other constructively and shows up motivated every single day. That combination drives both individual success and long-term business results.

What advice would you offer to leaders in your field eager to drive greater engagement on their sales teams?

I’d say don’t overthink it. Engagement doesn’t come from one big program or initiative; it comes from the small, consistent things you do every day as a leader. 

First, be clear. People want to know the “why” behind the goals, not just the numbers. When they understand how their work connects to the bigger picture, they feel more invested.

Second, recognize effort as much as outcomes. A deal might take months to close, but the behaviors that get you there — persistence, collaboration and creativity — deserve to be celebrated along the way.

Third, make engagement part of your team’s rhythm. That means connecting through daily huddles, one-on-ones or even quick Slack shout-outs. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should be constant. 

And finally, don’t feel like you need to have all the answers. Some of the best engagement happens when the team learns from each other. Iron sharpens iron, so create opportunities for reps to share ideas, lead discussions and sharpen one another’s skills. When you do those things consistently, the numbers will follow. More importantly, you’ll build a team that takes real pride and ownership in the work.

Applied Systems’ annual Innovation Hackathon lets product and engineering teams self-organize to prototype customer- or team-focused solutions; one team built a GPT-4 email-summarization feature directly in Epic’s activity screen, emphasizing career growth and a collaborative culture.