Episode #44: Jealousy, Envy and Spite In Sales

Why is sales already such an emotionally demanding role?

Sales professionals live with constant pressure: demanding clients, tight delivery schedules, and relentless revenue expectations. Even when logistics, production, or quality are outside the salesperson’s control, the client still holds them accountable.

Success doesn’t fully remove the pressure. In most organisations, you are “only as good as your last deal.” The emotional highs and lows never stop, even when the numbers look strong.

Mini-summary: Sales is a high-pressure, emotionally volatile role where responsibility is high and control is limited, especially in competitive markets like 東京 (Tokyo).

In most sales organisations, the Pareto Principle applies: roughly 20% of salespeople generate around 80% of revenue. That means the remaining 80% are competing for the leftover 20% of sales.

People join at different times, bring varied experience, motivation levels, and client portfolios. Naturally, some rise to the top, others sit in the middle, and some remain at the bottom. This inequality of results can create resentment and internal politics—especially when results are highly visible.

Mini-summary: When a small elite group consistently outperforms others, it often triggers jealousy, defensiveness, and unhealthy internal competition instead of collective growth.

In many Western sales organisations, performance management often follows a Darwinian “survival of the fittest” model. Underperformers are cut; strong performers survive, and some eventually move into management. Bottom performers know they are on their own and must either improve or exit.

In Japan, most salespeople work on a salary-plus-bonus structure rather than salary-plus-commission. 100% commission roles are rare. Base salaries can be relatively high by foreign standards, so the financial pressure to “sell or starve” is lower.

For 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies) alike, this structure can reduce financial urgency and ambition for some sales staff. Top performers may push hard, but others may be more comfortable just maintaining their base income.

Mini-summary: Western sales cultures often use strong performance pressure and risk; Japanese compensation systems can soften that pressure, sometimes reducing urgency for lower performers.

When a few people consistently win, some colleagues may react negatively instead of learning from them. Common behaviours include:

• Snide comments and subtle criticism

• Negative gossip and “whisper campaigns”

• Social exclusion and cold attitudes toward top performers

• Complaints that “you’re making us look bad”

This is the mindset of “the best way to build the tallest building is to tear down the taller ones.” Instead of raising their own performance, some people try to pull others down.

In small sales teams—especially in 東京 (Tokyo) offices where space and daily interaction are intense—this can become very uncomfortable. Cooperation is essential for sharing accounts, splitting deals, and coordinating client ownership. Toxic politics quickly damage trust.

Mini-summary: Jealousy of top performers often manifests as subtle attacks, gossip, and political games that undermine collaboration and trust inside the sales team.

Some underperformers channel their energy into politics rather than productivity. They:

• Complain frequently and loudly

• Gather other complainers and form negative sub-groups

• Host informal “whine sessions” that drain morale

• Frame top performers as the “problem” instead of examining their own behaviour

Over time, these “sales politicians” shift attention away from the real competition in the marketplace. Instead of fighting competitors, the team starts fighting internally. The result: lower energy, weaker culture, and lost business for both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies).

Mini-summary: When internal politics grow, organisations lose focus on customers and competitors, and the entire sales culture begins to slide.

Why don’t many managers fix this toxic dynamic?

Often, the most successful salespeople are not political; they are focused on customers, pipeline, and results. They underestimate how much damage toxic colleagues can do.

At the same time, many sales managers and executives focus almost exclusively on numbers. As long as targets are met, they may ignore the “sales soap opera” inside the team. In today’s labour market—where it is hard to hire experienced sales talent—some leaders avoid confronting toxic behaviour because they fear losing staff.

The result: toxic individuals stay far longer than they should, and cultural damage deepens. The organisation starts to lose its best people and underperform as a whole.

Mini-summary: Many leaders avoid dealing with toxic behaviour because they prioritise short-term numbers and worry about replacement costs, unintentionally rewarding the wrong culture.

From a leadership perspective, tolerating toxic behaviour is a strategic risk. It signals to everyone that politics matter more than performance and values. For both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies), this undermines employer brand and engagement.

Key leadership actions include:

• Zero tolerance for toxic behaviour, regardless of individual results

• Clear expectations and consequences for how colleagues treat each other

• Direct coaching and feedback to those who gossip, complain, or sabotage others

• Swift decisions, including removal, for chronic toxic influencers

This is where リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) and DEI研修 (DEI training) become essential. Structured development helps managers recognise toxic dynamics, hold tough conversations, and protect culture while still driving numbers.

Mini-summary: Effective leaders confront and remove toxic behaviour quickly, protecting both culture and performance instead of trading one for the other.

If you are a top performer or in the upper ranks, you may feel like you have a target on your back. Instead of focusing solely on clients, you now need to navigate fragile egos and critical colleagues. To protect your performance:

1. Insulate yourself from “loser energy.”
   Spend the minimum necessary time with negative colleagues. Don’t join complaint sessions or gossip.

2. Maximise your Golden Time.
   Treat 9:00–17:00 as “Golden Time” for client-facing activity—meetings, calls, proposals, and deal progress.
   All administrivia—internal meetings, CRM updates, data entry—should be done outside this Golden Time whenever possible.

3. Use flexibility and technology.
   Where possible, do proposal writing, follow-up emails, and CRM work remotely or during non-core hours. Limit time in the office around negative influencers.

4. Protect your identity.
   Remember: you are the value creator. Their negativity is kryptonite; your mindset is your superpower.

For ambitious professionals aiming to grow in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) or 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) and 営業研修 (sales training) can help you build resilience, influence skills, and political awareness without losing your client focus.

Mini-summary: Top performers should minimise exposure to toxic colleagues, rigorously protect client-facing time, and invest in their own mindset and skills.

To change a culture, you need more than rules—you need new behaviours, shared language, and aligned expectations. Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo works with leadership and sales teams to:

• Build confident, emotionally intelligent leaders through リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training)

• Strengthen sales skills, mindset, and structure via 営業研修 (sales training)

• Elevate communication and influence with プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training)

• Support senior professionals with エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching)

• Create inclusive, psychologically safe teams through DEI研修 (DEI training)

We work with both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies) operating in 東京 (Tokyo) and across Japan, helping them shift from internal conflict to external market focus.

If you want to explore how to protect your top performers and reset your sales culture, contact us at greg.story@dalecarnegie.com or visit our website to learn more about our programmes.

Mini-summary: Targeted training and coaching give leaders and sales teams the tools to reduce toxicity, boost engagement, and focus on winning in the marketplace—not fighting each other.

• Toxic behaviour is a strategic risk, not a minor HR issue—left unchecked, it pushes out top talent and damages brand and revenue.

• Compensation structures in Japan (salary + bonus) can reduce urgency for some salespeople, making leadership and culture even more critical.

• Top performers must protect their Golden Time and avoid being dragged into office politics and negativity.

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training) are powerful levers to transform sales culture in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-affiliated companies).

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.