Dow Climbs More Than 400 Points, Nearing All-Time Highs
Optimism about Fed policy boosted stocks across the board, with all 11 of the S&P 500's sectors ending the day higher. Bank stocks were among the top performers, along with shares of tech companies and airlines.
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Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
Seeking An Effective Sales Leader? 16 Cornerstone Traits To Consider
Working in an ever-evolving sales environment is not for the faint of heart, especially if you're the one leading the charge. The most resilient leaders build capable, empowered teams by clarifying roles, aligning on shared goals and nurturing trust, so that performance doesn't hinge on any one person, but on a collective drive toward excellence. In addition, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, where insights from the field are honored and shared openly, can help teams pivot quickly to meet changing customer needs. Below, 16 members of Forbes Business Development Council weigh in on other aspects that reveal a strong leadership candidate and why. 1. Results-Driven A strong sales leader drives results by combining vision, coaching and accountability. They set clear goals, use data to guide decisions and invest in developing their team. Resilient under pressure and skilled in communication, they create a culture where people are motivated to perform, not just for quotas, but for a shared mission. - Mira Tzur, TruUniverse 2. Curious And Passionate Curiosity and passion are key. Almost everything else can be learned. Curiosity is needed to truly understand your customer's business deeply. Passion comes in the form of an obsession with solving problems and the relentless pursuit of completing your goals. - Adam Goff, Box, Inc. 3. Customer-Centric A great sales leader has a strong passion for the customer's experience and sets high standards of performance. The sales team is often the first consumer interaction with the company or product, and it can make or break how consumers perceive the brand. - Tracy Nolan, Humana 4. Resilient It's not the pitch that lands—it's the moment after the one that doesn't. Rejection is revealing. It exposes your emotional infrastructure. The strongest leaders don't spiral. They reset with precision. Power isn't loud. It's how fast you return to center. It isn't in the pitch. It's in the recovery. In the end, the real sale is trust, and trust is earned in the pause between rejection and return. - Jennifer Castillo, Cavendelle Row 5. Coach It depends on your measure of what a strong sales leader must achieve. For me, it's about results because the numbers don't lie! To drive maximum results with headwinds and tailwinds, a sales leader must be an excellent coach. This requires great talent acquisition, high EQ, clear and firm leadership from the front and the list goes on. A strong sales leader is a strong coach, and the results always follow. - Sam Lawrence, JLL Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify? 6. Problem-Solver Effective leadership means showing up daily when challenges mount. It is about resilience in the face of rejection, the grit to persist and the humility to actively listen. Leaders do not just chase targets; they help others to solve problems, navigate ambiguity and innovate under pressure. - Curtis Brinkerhoff, Impartner, Inc. 7. Empathetic A strong leader possesses deep empathy for their customers. It's about moving beyond the features and functions of what you sell to gaining an understanding of the customer's business problems and the outcomes they are trying to achieve. When a leader embodies this, it cascades to the entire team, shifting the focus from transactional selling to a value-based partnership that creates sustained growth for all. - Jonathan Nikols, Verizon Business 8. Accountable Above all, accountability defines a strong sales leader. It's not just about charisma or drive—it's about taking ownership of both successes and failures, learning from mistakes, finding solutions and consistently following through on commitments to earn trust and guide the team forward. - Eyal Shamir, IceCure Medical 9. Relationship-Builder Building trust and establishing strong relationships with customers is paramount for sales leaders today. This approach assures customers that their success is valued, leading to sustained loyalty and long-term partnerships. - Ruchir Nath, Dell Technologies 10. Innovative, Entrepreneurial Mindset Strong sales leadership starts with customer focus and driving rigor and accountability, while inspiring teams to achieve extraordinary results. Exceptional sales leaders go further: They think like entrepreneurs, act as builders, align across functions and drive innovation. They don't just lead the business—they own it. - Jani Hirvonen, Google 11. Clarity Of Purpose Strong sales leaders don't just drive deals; they build belief. In a world of AI, complexity and shifting expectations, the real differentiator is clarity. Having the clarity of purpose, value and outcomes is essential. It's not about how many transactions you close, but the quality of conviction you create for your team and your customers. - Jigar Kothari, Aisera 12. Persistent Great sales leaders exhibit persistence and belief in themselves in the face of obstacles. There may be a lost deal or a bad quarter, but they don't let these experiences derail them from their ultimate goal. In sales, you won't always win every deal, but it's how you recover and bounce back that sets the top performers apart from the others. - Hayden Stafford, Seismic 13. Active Listener The very best salespeople listen. They don't talk or dive into pitches. They seek to understand the pain points of leads and build trust. It's essential to remember that successful sales happen when there's understanding and trust from clients. It's not just about pushing a product—it's about ensuring a leading and trusted brand. - Wayne Elsey, Funds2Orgs 14. Long-Term Visionary A strong sales leader stays obsessed with understanding customers' pain points and ambitions. They think long-term, nurture relationships and own their results. Sharing real-life experience builds trust and inspires. It's not just about closing deals—it's about building sustainable business, growing people's skills and making sure clients feel genuinely understood and supported at every step. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House 15. Strategic Team-Builder Strong sales leaders are strategic and dedicated to developing their teams. Any sales team is made up of a mix of individuals at different points in their professional development journey. The crucial step in becoming a true sales leader is building a strong sales team through methodical development, expertly blending tech and human connection to help sellers reach the next level. - Julie Thomas, ValueSelling Associates 16. Laser-Focused Decision-Maker A strong sales leader brings focus. They cut through noise, set clear priorities and make fast, confident decisions. It's not about talking the most—it's about driving results with clarity and purpose. - Vipin Thomas, SparrowGenie
Gizmodo
a few seconds ago
- Gizmodo
Tesla Is Making a Move in New York City That Regulators Absolutely Hate
Tesla is coming in hot in New York City and regulators, legislators and consumers are already pushing back. The electric car company's latest foray into regulator wrestling comes via a hiring push for autopilot drivers in NYC, despite holding no permits for that service in the city. Given that Tesla has already spent years fighting federal probes, civil and criminal lawsuits and a host of scrutiny from everyone from the SEC to local politicians, its new push appears to be a further continuation of asking forgiveness later instead of permission up from. What is Tesla planning in NYC? According to local job postings, the company is now ramping up efforts to develop its self-driving technology, recruiting drivers in Queens to operate vehicles equipped with 'automated driving systems,' despite failing to secure the necessary permits for autonomous testing within the city. According to Tesla's listing, these roles involve long-distance driving of specially outfitted vehicles, with a focus on collecting audio and video data to improve its self-driving software. However, New York's Department of Transportation (DOT) have confirmed that Tesla has not applied for the permits required to legally test autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the city. Without those approvals, the company cannot operate robotaxis on public streets, the DOT said, and could face the same continued regulator smackdown it has felt in places like California and Arizona. The fight over Tesla's testing grounds is already heating up, and it has only been a day since the first job postings went up. The DOT has since pointed out that any permitted AV testing company must have a 'trained safety driver behind the wheel at all times,' prepared to take control if needed. While Tesla's job postings suggest field testing is underway, the company's efforts remain in the preliminary stage due to the lack of official clearance. Meanwhile, Alphabet's Waymo, considered the leader in North American robotaxi technology, has submitted its own permit application and is awaiting approval, but has also faced its own share of pressure from legislators and lawsuits brought by consumers and oversight agencies. How far do Tesla's autonomous driving ambitions span? New York is just the latest battleground in a fight Tesla is waging across the country. The automaker is hiring test drivers in Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and Palo Alto, all which are near locations where Tesla maintains engineering centers. These listings imply ongoing data collection efforts for Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' (FSD) system, which the company currently markets as 'FSD Unsupervised' in the U.S. In each of those locations Tesla's autonomous testing operates in a patchwork of local and statewide gray areas, some of which are more strict than others. That's been concerning for market watchers and consumers both, because Tesla's pursuit of autonomous vehicle deployment appears to be accelerating. In Texas, the company recently secured a permit to operate a robotaxi fleet without a human safety driver on board, a significant step in its plan to expand autonomous ride-hailing services. Since June, Tesla has operated a limited robotaxi fleet in Austin, with employees occupying the passenger seats and ready to intervene if necessary. CEO Elon Musk has also heavily hinted that this service could soon open to the general public. Similar initiatives are underway in San Francisco, where Tesla runs a restricted 'autonomous ride-hailing' service, despite the fact that Tesla is not authorized to call these vehicles 'taxis' or carry passengers fully autonomously within California. Musk has repeatedly assured followers that Tesla is 'working as quickly as possible' to deploy over 100 autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing in the Bay Area and plans to allow anyone to request a ride. Tesla's autopilot driving has had a rocky road so far Tesla's still faces federal investigations, lawsuits, and recalls linked to crashes involving Autopilot and FSD. California regulators, in particular, have called out Tesla for misleading advertising, arguing that the automaker's claims about 'self-driving' capabilities may be overly optimistic or even false, a charge Tesla strongly disputes. Tesla's Autopilot system is also under increasing scrutiny from regulators amid mounting concerns over its safety and effectiveness, particularly regarding driver engagement and the potential for misuse. Federal agencies have launched investigations and issued recalls related to Autopilot's failures to ensure drivers remain attentive, raising questions about the technology's readiness. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has highlighted significant driver engagement issues, especially with Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' (FSD) system. The agency's review has found that Autopilot does not incorporate adequate safeguards to prevent drivers from becoming distracted or disengaged while using the system. In 2023, regulators recalled approximately 2.3 million Tesla vehicles due to concerns that Autopilot sometimes fails to detect when drivers are not paying attention. Additionally, NHTSA has opened a new investigation into FSD following a fatal crash, citing concerns over the system's ability to operate safely. The agency identified a 'critical safety gap' in Autopilot's design, noting that the system's structure permits foreseeable misuse that could lead to avoidable accidents. Critics argue that Tesla's systems may give drivers a false sense of security, encouraging risky behavior behind the wheel. Beyond the NHTSA's investigation, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are reportedly examining Tesla's self-driving claims and safety record, adding layers of regulatory concern. Tesla maintains that Autopilot is designed as a driver assistance feature, not a fully autonomous system. The company argues that it requires drivers to maintain attention and control at all times. Tesla has also issued software updates aimed at addressing some of the safety issues raised by regulators. Tesla's scrambling amid market headwinds Meanwhile, Tesla's core business of selling electric vehicles continues to face headwinds, especially in Europe, where sales have slowed this year. Shareholders and consumers alike have been reacting to Musk's controversial political comments, which have alienated some potential buyers, while analysts say that his emphasis on the Cybertruck and other high-profile projects has cost Tesla massive amounts of money right as it hemorrhages customers. Despite the setbacks, Tesla is still pushing hard to roll out fully autonomous vehicles, a possible new income stream for a company currently beset by sales issues. Its ongoing hiring spree for test drivers across multiple markets signals that the company is collecting critical data and pushing toward higher levels of self-driving capability. Whether those efforts will translate into fully autonomous robotaxis available to the public remains uncertain, particularly as regulatory hurdles and safety concerns continue to complicate the pathway forward. Our Take Tesla's 'ask forgiveness, not permission' strategy was effective when it was a scrappy underdog. But as a dominant automaker with a technology implicated in a growing number of federal investigations, that playbook is colliding with reality. The question is no longer whether Tesla's tech is ambitious, but whether the company is willing to operate under the same rules as everyone else.
Digital Trends
a few seconds ago
- Digital Trends
Buy this Gigabyte gaming laptop with RTX 5070 right now for savings of $100
The gaming laptop deals that are worth buying are still pretty expensive even after the discounts, so gamers should take the time to find a device that will last for several years before they need an upgrade. We highly recommend the Gigabyte Gaming A16 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, which is on sale with a $100 discount from Amazon that lowers its price to $1,300 from $1,400 originally. The savings are a bonus for this powerful machine, but you need to act fast because the offer may disappear at any moment. Why you should buy the Gigabyte Gaming A16 laptop The Gigabyte Gaming A16 combines the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card with the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB of RAM, which our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the sweet spot for high-end gamers. The gaming laptop is capable of playing the best PC games without any issues, and it will be ready for the upcoming PC games of at least the next few years so there won't be a need for any immediate upgrades. The 16-inch screen of the Gigabyte Gaming A16 gives justice to its performance with its WUXGA resolution and 165Hz refresh rate, allowing you to fully appreciate the graphics of modern titles. The gaming laptop also features a 1TB so that you can install multiple video games at the same time, along with all of their updates and additional content, and with Windows 11 Home out of the box, you can start doing so right after you turn on the Gigabyte Gaming A16 for the first time. For a gaming laptop that will meet the ever-increasing requirements of modern video games, you should go for the Gigabyte Gaming A16 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card. Amazon is selling the device at $100 off its sticker price of $1,400 so that you'll only have to pay $1,300, but you have to hurry because the offer may no longer be around tomorrow. Add the Gigabyte Gaming A16 laptop to your cart and finish the checkout process as soon as possible!
