As part of a special series on The Faces of KION North America, we sat down with members of our leadership team to talk about their thoughts on leadership. During this installment, we feature Steve Coleman, Senior Manager, Sales Training & Dealer Onboarding.
What is your position, and in summary, what do you do?
I am the head of Sales Training & Dealer Onboarding for North America. In this role, I am responsible for ensuring that we have a world-class sales training program available to both our internal and external salesforce. The areas we focus on are Product Training, Sales Process Training, Financial Services Training, and Systems Training. We are a new department founded only 18 months ago, and it has been my pleasure to build the department and add the right people to our team along the way. Recently, our team took on the task of Dealer Onboarding, so when a new Dealer Partner joins our network, they will be guided through their first four weeks by our team.
What made you get into this industry?
Absolute luck! It was many years ago, and I was very young and working in a job I really didn’t enjoy. I reached out to the local authority and obtained a list of all companies in the local area listed A thru Z, and one of them was a forklift dealership beginning with “B.” They were the only company that got back to me, and I am very fortunate that someone took a chance hiring me despite my age and lack of experience! I always had a dream of moving to the United States, and thankfully due to KION Group being a global entity, I was able to make it happen.
What are the most important attributes of successful leaders today?
In my opinion, the most important attributes are integrity, communication, the ability to empathize, and having a solid vision of where they want their team to go.
What advice would you give someone seeking a leadership position in the material handling industry?
Be persistent! Take every opportunity that presents itself to make yourself shine and stand out. Once you are in a leadership position, surround yourself with good people and give them the tools to succeed. Don’t be afraid to make bold decisions; remember that hard work and perseverance always shine through, and fortune usually favors the brave.
