Executive Spotlight: Sohail Salman of Seventh Sense Consulting

Sohail Salman, senior director of business development at Seventh Sense Consulting, sat down with the Potomac Officers to talk about his career inspirations, the core values of his leadership and his advice for executives entering the GovCon arena. 

Read below for Salman’s full Executive Spotlight interview. 

Potomac Officers Club: Who are the executives that have inspired you the most over the course of your career?

Sohail Salman: I’ve been inspired by Francis “Pancho” Kinney, who instilled in me the value of approaching everything I do with military precision; Commissioner David Aguilar, who taught me to be fearless; and lastly, the remarkable Kathleen Sober, whose legacy taught me the power of authenticity and the importance of unwavering confidence in every situation.

POC: What are the core values that you believe are essential to build a great team and establish a foundation to drive success in such a competitive industry?

Salman: There are many, but from my perspective, three that are crucial for building a strong team and laying the groundwork for success:  

• Mission-Driven Focus: A shared commitment to supporting the mission of federal government requirement owners. This inspires business developers, capture managers and program managers to go above and beyond, ensuring that everything we do, what we sell and how we do it are aligned to requirement owner objectives.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Success in GovCon is contingent upon effective collaboration across cross-functional teams, subcontractors and partners to deliver the right offerings.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Being adaptable and resilient is non-negotiable in an industry that is dynamic, with evolving regulations and priorities. It helps with effectively responding to change.  

POC: How would you advise someone entering our industry to build their resume and advance their careers to be in the best position in the years to come?

Salman: One of my favorite quotes by David Perrell is, ‘The world doesn’t reward the people with the best ideas. The world rewards the people best at communicating ideas.’ This applies heavily to GovCon. My advice is to actively seek projects that involve writing and to seize every opportunity to enhance verbal communication skills. Mastering the art of clear writing, confident speaking and impactful presenting will significantly advance your career in GovCon.