Strategic Growth: Lessons from the Vice President of Global Sales & Enablement
By Dan Spitale
I’ve spent the better part of 25 years leading sales and enablement teams across industries—from insuretech to financial services to logistics. In that time, I’ve learned this: Strategic growth isn’t just about market share or product expansion. It’s about people. Culture. Discipline.
Here are five lessons that have guided my journey, and continue to shape how I lead today.
1. Growth Starts with Alignment, Not Activity
You can have the most brilliant GTM plan in the world, but if your teams aren’t aligned, it falls apart in the field.
True growth begins when sales, marketing, product, and enablement speak the same language.
2. Culture Is the Strategy That Never Gets Outdated
Your strategy will evolve every quarter. Your culture? That’s what sustains you.
When I stepped into my role as VP of Global Sales & Enablement, I walked into a world of spreadsheets, dashboards, and regional targets. But what we were missing was connection.
So, we started telling stories. Stories about why we do what we do. Stories about home. That’s when trust started to grow. And when trust grows, performance follows.
3. Enablement Is Your Greatest Multiplier
Enablement isn’t just onboarding or LMS modules—it’s the engine behind consistent, scalable performance. Make it repeatable and memorable to spur learning opportunities across the entire Org. Creating a peer to peer based learning culture will drive sustainable success, both internally as well as externally with customers.
We embedded enablement into the entire sales motion. Persona-based playbooks. Just-in-time content. And most importantly, a culture of continuous learning.
Result? Better conversations. Faster ramps. Higher retention.
4. Strategy Is a Living Thing—Treat It That Way
Rigid strategies are fragile. Agile strategies are resilient.
When one of our regions missed target for two straight quarters, we didn’t double down—we re-evaluated. We invited the team into the process, rebuilt the customer journey, and pivoted.
The same applies to your team. Celebrate their wins, yes—but also their humanity. Know their stories. Invest in their growth beyond the quarterly number.
Lesson: Your strategy should serve your people—not your pride.
5. The Story Always Begins at Home
Leadership doesn’t start in the boardroom—it starts at home.
My wife, Erica, and our son, Enzo, are the reason I lead with humility. They remind me that leadership is about presence, not position. I carry that mindset into every team I lead.
Because in the end, strategic growth isn’t just about the numbers.
It’s about the people you grow along the way. It’s about the culture you build, the opportunities you create, the authenticity of your actions, the confidence you instill and the humility you bring everyday.
Final Thought:
Strategic growth is more than charts and checklists. It’s a journey led by values, powered by people, and measured not just in revenue, but in reputation. As a VP of Global Sales & Enablement, I’ve seen firsthand: when you align your teams, empower your people, and lead with humility, growth doesn’t just happen.
It accelerates. And it lasts.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
What lessons have shaped your view of growth? What role does culture, enablement, or alignment play in your strategy?
