The CEO won't make or break your success quite like this leader ...

You want to know how I decide whether to take a CS leadership role?

I start by evaluating the sales leader.

After 13 years and 5 CS leadership roles, one truth has never changed:

The person who has the greatest impact on my success (and my team’s success) is the Head of Sales or CRO.

When the sales leader understands Customer Success...

When they respect the work we do to keep and grow customers...

When they prioritize partnership over personal KPIs...

We all win.

The company.

The team.

And most importantly — the customer.

But when they don’t?

Misaligned goals.

Siloed teams.

Broken customer trust.

Attrition.

So now, when I’m considering a role, I don’t just look at the CEO or board.

I look straight at the sales leader.

Here are 5 things I assess before I say yes:

✅ Do they believe customer growth starts after the sale?

✅ Do they involve CS in deal strategy and handoffs?

✅ Do they ask for feedback and actually listen to it?

✅ Do they celebrate renewals and expansions the same way they do net-new?

✅ Do they act like a teammate, not just a target-hitter?

Because if I can’t trust the sales leader to be a true partner, I’m not taking the job.

Simple as that.