Elite Manager Toolkit
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Blog and Media
Breaking down complex topics about management and leadership skills, the changing needs of the pharmaceutical industry, the workforce, employee engagement and culture, and the market.
Read Our Latest Posts
Managing Mixed Talent: How to Build Synergy Between A-, B-, and C-Players to Boost Team Performance
High-performing teams are rarely made up of just star players. In reality, most teams are a mix of top performers, solid contributors, and those who may be underperforming or still developing. This blend, often referred to as mixed talent, presents both challenges and opportunities for managers aiming to build a cohesive and effective team. The question is not how to eliminate performance gaps, but how to turn this variation into a strength.
The Science of Motivation: How Leaders Can Inspire Peak Performance
In any organization, motivation is the lifeblood of performance. Teams that feel driven, supported, and inspired tend to outperform expectations, innovate faster, and contribute more meaningfully to organizational goals. But motivation isn’t a one-time push, it’s an ongoing effort that requires intentional leadership.
Can B-Players Become Great Leaders? Rethinking Who Gets Leadership Opportunities
B-players are the steady, reliable team members who consistently deliver without seeking the limelight. They are frequently passed over when leadership opportunities arise. They may not be as assertive or vocal as their high-performing counterparts, but they bring something essential: empathy, consistency, and loyalty. These traits are valuable in day-to-day operations and key to building trust and sustaining long-term team success.
Motivating the Middle Level: Proven Ways to Engage and Retain Average Performers
The challenge for leaders is how to keep this group engaged. Promotions, high bonuses, or burnout-inducing stretch goals are not always viable or effective for this segment. What’s needed are sustainable, thoughtful strategies that honor the middle level’s contribution and inspire long-term commitment.
How to Develop and Implement a Meaningful Employee Value Proposition
An employee value proposition transcends the basic exchange of services for compensation. It captures the unique benefits and experiences an employer offers in return for an employee’s commitment, engagement, and discretionary effort. When done right, it reflects a genuine relationship where the organization and the individual grow together.
Revitalizing Customer Engagement: Strategies for Leadership and Organizational Growth
In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive landscape, the success of any company is closely tied to its ability to adapt, innovate, and remain connected with its customers. However, these goals cannot be achieved without strong leadership and organizational growth.
Performance Reviews: Best Practices for Pharma Managers
Performance reviews are more than administrative exercises in the competitive and fast-evolving pharmaceutical industry. They are essential leadership tools that shape behavior, guide development, and drive business results.
The Future of Pharma Sales Leadership: How Technology is Driving Change
The pharmaceutical industry has always been at the forefront of innovation, particularly when it comes to developing life-saving medications and treatments. However, a revolution is currently unfolding within the industry’s sales teams. The future of pharma sales leadership is being redefined by technology, and its impact will be far-reaching for both pharmaceutical companies and their sales teams.
Managing Employees Who Don’t Want to Be Managed
Striking the right balance between leadership and autonomy is essential. As a leader, the goal isn’t to control every move but to guide, empower, and give employees the space to thrive with the right support for performance and growth.
Is Pharma Sales Broken?
In a recent conversation with a former pharma CEO, we reflected on just how much the industry has shifted. He began his career in the early ’90s as a sales rep at one of the largest companies, a time when relationships drove prescriptions and product differences were minimal. Those days are long gone.
Personalized Coaching Plan: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Middle Performers
Walk into any sales organization and you’ll see a familiar pattern. Top performers are celebrated and stretched with new opportunities, while struggling employees receive extra coaching to get them back on track.
The Sales Manager Gap: Why Hiring Externally Isn’t Fixing Performance
The assumption is that if someone has been a manager before, they don’t need training. But skills aren’t validated beyond an interview, and those hires bring gaps with them. Meanwhile, internal talent gets overlooked.
Is Trust the Real Currency of Sales Leadership?
Deadlines, pressure, and constant change are part of leadership in every industry. When the heat is on, technical expertise and training matter — but what truly holds a team together is trust. Trust is the foundation of leadership. Without it, nothing else sticks.
Blended Strategies in Pharma: Building Stronger Leadership Development
Many pharma companies had already embraced remote learning; however, leadership training has been the lone holdout. The blended learning enabled people to enter the field more quickly, eliminating the need to wait for live training.
Strengthening Partner and Internal Relationships: Five Essential Strategies to Help Master Training Management
Managing supplier partners and internal relationships is a critical skill for trainers in life sciences organizations. Trainers work with multiple stakeholders — balancing the needs of sales teams, marketing, medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) requirements, and supplier capabilities to deliver quality learning experiences.
Bridging the Gap: How to Keep Middle Level Employees Inspired and Invested
Middle-level employees are the connective tissue of every organization. They translate executive vision into action, manage frontline teams, solve day-to-day problems, and maintain operational stability. Yet, despite this essential role, they often feel stuck in a quiet middle, neither celebrated like high-potential new hires nor empowered like senior leaders.
Leadership Lessons: You Can’t Fix a Problem That You Can’t Talk About
The most effective leadership lessons show managers how to foster a culture where problems are raised early, discussed honestly, and solved together before they can escalate. If your managers avoid difficult conversations, even the best strategies will stall.
Why AI Won’t Replace Great, But Will Make Them Better
If you’re in a manager role today, it’s easy to worry that AI might one day replace your role. That fear isn’t new—it’s been around since the Industrial Revolution. And yes, some jobs have been replaced by technology. But just as often, new roles have been created. Opportunity has always followed disruption.
Watch Our Latest Videos
Leading from Within: Keith Willis on Building High-Performing Teams and Effective Leadership
In this episode of The Sea Captain Way podcast, Keith Willis, President and Founder of Core Management Training, shares invaluable insights on leadership, team development, and the power of recognizing individual strengths.
Networking and Proactivity: Keith Willis on Advancing in Pharma Sales
In this episode, Keith Willis explains why managers are pivotal in shaping sales careers. He shares how networking and taking proactive steps help reps create opportunities, stand out in competitive markets, and build long-term success in pharma sales.
Bringing Your A-Game: Keith Willis on Coaching, Training, and Career Growth
In part two of this conversation, Keith Willis shares why top pharmaceutical companies invest in coaching and training to build stronger sales teams, and why reps should do the same for their own careers. He explains how self-development, coaching, and skill-building help you stand out in interviews, succeed in competitive territories, and create long-term career opportunities.
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