Retention as a Leadership KPI with Tony Burnside | Coach2Scale Episode #90
In this episode of Coach to Scale, we sit down with Tony Burnside, SVP of APJ at Netskope, to dismantle the outdated playbook on sales leadership. Tony challenges the myth that effective managers need to lead through pressure, fear, or control. Instead, he shares his approach to building high-performing, culturally aligned teams, starting with hiring good humans, creating space for accountability, and making coaching a non-negotiable part of the manager’s role. With over 200 reps across 15 countries under his leadership, Tony’s insights are battle-tested and globally relevant.
We dig into what it takes to scale culture across borders, what most leaders miss in their 1:1s, and why every resignation is, as Tony puts it, “a performance review for leadership.” Whether you’re a CRO trying to stabilize performance or a frontline leader drowning in deals and check-the-box coaching, this episode delivers practical frameworks and hard-earned lessons for leveling up your org without burning out your team.
Key Takeaways:
1. Culture drives performance, not charisma or control
Burnside argues that strong sales cultures don’t emerge from aggressive personalities but from clarity, consistency, and mutual respect across the organization.
2. Good human first" is a hiring filter, not a luxury
He prioritizes character over credentials, explaining that people who want to win as a team outperform lone wolves in the long run.
3. Every resignation is a leadership review.
Attrition isn’t just HR’s concern; Tony reframes it as direct feedback on your leadership brand and your managers’ effectiveness.
4. Yes, you can be friends with your reps if you’re still willing to hold them accountable
Burnside pushes back on the false tradeoff between camaraderie and performance, noting that trust and accountability aren’t mutually exclusive.
5. Global coaching cultures require local empathy.
Leading in APJ taught him that you can’t copy-paste U.S. management styles into Japan or India; success comes from adjusting expectations and coaching cadence to cultural norms.
6. Managers need a litmus test for connection and respect
He shares a personal test: if you wouldn't grab a drink with a rep while traveling, they may not be the right cultural fit for your team.
7. Most managers don’t know how to coach because they were never taught
Tony calls out the common pattern of promoting star reps without equipping them to lead, which leads to tactical, deal-centric 1:1s instead of skill development.
8. He invests personally in his own growth and expects others to do the same
From Dale Carnegie to Sandler, Tony’s career changed after he paid out of pocket for training; he sees self-investment as a signal of leadership potential.
10. Coaching must be operationalized, not left to chance or personality
Informal, unstructured coaching creates inconsistency and lost opportunities; managers need frameworks and tools to coach effectively at scale.
Ways to Tune In:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fd188af6-7c17-4b2e-a0b2-196ecd6fdf77
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale
CoachEm™ is the first Coaching Execution Platform that integrates deep learning technology to proactively analyze patterns, highlight the "why" behind the data with root causes, and identify the actions that will ultimately improve business results going forward. These practical coaching recommendations for managers will help their teams drive more deals, bigger deals, faster deals, and loyal customers. Built with decades of go-to-market experience, world-renowned data scientists, and advanced causal AI/ML technology, CoachEm™ leverages your existing tech stack to increase rep productivity, increase retention, and replicate best practices across your team.
Learn more at coachem.io
We dig into what it takes to scale culture across borders, what most leaders miss in their 1:1s, and why every resignation is, as Tony puts it, “a performance review for leadership.” Whether you’re a CRO trying to stabilize performance or a frontline leader drowning in deals and check-the-box coaching, this episode delivers practical frameworks and hard-earned lessons for leveling up your org without burning out your team.
Key Takeaways:
1. Culture drives performance, not charisma or control
Burnside argues that strong sales cultures don’t emerge from aggressive personalities but from clarity, consistency, and mutual respect across the organization.
2. Good human first" is a hiring filter, not a luxury
He prioritizes character over credentials, explaining that people who want to win as a team outperform lone wolves in the long run.
3. Every resignation is a leadership review.
Attrition isn’t just HR’s concern; Tony reframes it as direct feedback on your leadership brand and your managers’ effectiveness.
4. Yes, you can be friends with your reps if you’re still willing to hold them accountable
Burnside pushes back on the false tradeoff between camaraderie and performance, noting that trust and accountability aren’t mutually exclusive.
5. Global coaching cultures require local empathy.
Leading in APJ taught him that you can’t copy-paste U.S. management styles into Japan or India; success comes from adjusting expectations and coaching cadence to cultural norms.
6. Managers need a litmus test for connection and respect
He shares a personal test: if you wouldn't grab a drink with a rep while traveling, they may not be the right cultural fit for your team.
7. Most managers don’t know how to coach because they were never taught
Tony calls out the common pattern of promoting star reps without equipping them to lead, which leads to tactical, deal-centric 1:1s instead of skill development.
8. He invests personally in his own growth and expects others to do the same
From Dale Carnegie to Sandler, Tony’s career changed after he paid out of pocket for training; he sees self-investment as a signal of leadership potential.
10. Coaching must be operationalized, not left to chance or personality
Informal, unstructured coaching creates inconsistency and lost opportunities; managers need frameworks and tools to coach effectively at scale.
Ways to Tune In:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Yb1wPzUxyrfR0Dx35ym1A
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-build-a-coaching-culture/id1699901434
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NvYWNoMnNjYWxlLWhvdy1tb2Rlcm4tbGVhZGVycy1idWlsZC1hLWNvYWNoaW5nLWN1bHR1cmU
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fd188af6-7c17-4b2e-a0b2-196ecd6fdf77
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/coach2scale-how-modern-leaders-5419703
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Coach2Scale
CoachEm™ is the first Coaching Execution Platform that integrates deep learning technology to proactively analyze patterns, highlight the "why" behind the data with root causes, and identify the actions that will ultimately improve business results going forward. These practical coaching recommendations for managers will help their teams drive more deals, bigger deals, faster deals, and loyal customers. Built with decades of go-to-market experience, world-renowned data scientists, and advanced causal AI/ML technology, CoachEm™ leverages your existing tech stack to increase rep productivity, increase retention, and replicate best practices across your team.
Learn more at coachem.io
