The New Definition of a “Strong” GTM Leader in 2026

January 2026

Author

Joey Brodsky
January 05, 2026

Hello and welcome to The Modern GTM Executive by Lunar Executive Search - read by 2,000+ leading Sales, Marketing, and Executive Leaders within Growth-Stage Technology businesses. We’re here to help people redefine their perspective on modern revenue acquisition models, understand what talent & skills are necessary to do so, and how to find the to 10% of GTM Leaders to execute.

Sales Hiring Market – Current LinkedIn Job Postings
Within Software Industry – Posted Last 7 Days
VP of Sales Jobs247-2%
Enterprise AE Jobs435-1%
BDR Jobs219+18%

To help readers stay grounded in the reality of today’s GTM hiring landscape, I’ll be sharing a weekly snapshot of active sales roles on LinkedIn. These metrics offer a simple but powerful pulse check: where demand is rising, where it’s cooling, and how the broader software market is shifting beneath the surface.

This Week's Signal
The Top 3 News Stories for Your GTM Career
Early 2026 market signals GTM leaders should actually pay attention to.
1 · GTM Hiring & Org Design
Headcount Isn’t Rebounding — Selectivity Is
As budgets reset for 2026, GTM hiring is reopening unevenly. Companies are adding fewer roles, but screening harder for proven execution, shorter ramp times, and real enterprise deal experience. The market isn’t frozen — it’s simply far less forgiving than it was pre-2023.
2 · Enterprise Sales Execution
Enterprise Buyers Are Saying “No” Faster
Late-stage enterprise deals are breaking earlier in the cycle as buyers tighten evaluation criteria and vendor lists. Sellers who can’t articulate ROI, urgency, and internal consensus quickly are being disqualified sooner — increasing the premium on experienced, disciplined enterprise sellers.
3 · Compensation & Career Signaling
Titles Are Inflated. Performance Proof Isn’t.
Entering 2026, hiring managers are increasingly skeptical of senior titles without supporting metrics. Verified quota attainment, deal size progression, and consistency over multiple years are now outweighing role labels and stated OTEs in both hiring and promotion decisions.

To help you stay sharper and more informed, I’m adding this new weekly snapshot of the three GTM stories that matter most. No fluff - just the signals every sales leader should track.

The New Definition of a “Strong” GTM Leader in 2026

For years, the GTM leadership archetype was clear:
big teams, aggressive hiring plans, ambitious growth stories.

That version of “strong” no longer holds.

As we enter 2026, the definition has quietly changed.

The 2021–2022 GTM Leader

  • Scaled headcount quickly

  • Sold vision upward, optimism downward

  • Managed through layers of tooling and dashboards

  • Explained misses with market conditions and timing

Growth masked a lot of operational weakness.

The 2026 GTM Leader

  • Runs smaller teams with higher output

  • Knows rep-level performance cold

  • Makes fast, uncomfortable people decisions

  • Prioritizes execution over experimentation

  • Can explain why revenue shows up — not just that it did

This leader doesn’t need perfect conditions.
They create clarity inside imperfect ones.

The Shift That Matters

Boards, CEOs, and investors aren’t asking, “can you scale?”

They’re asking, “can you produce predictable results with constraints?”

That’s the bar now.

Why This Matters for 2026

Whether you’re hiring, leading, or positioning your own career, the signal is clear:

Operational credibility beats growth narratives.
Performance evidence beats potential.
Discipline beats optimism.

That’s not a temporary correction — it’s the new baseline.

If you want the full breakdown of our thoughts on what ‘good’ GTM looks like in 2026 — including team design, enablement impact, and what “great” teams actually look like — the data is in this report.

We've got a number of active opportunities across our portfolio of software clients at Lunar Executive Search currently.

A few select openings: 

  • VP of Sales – VC Backed – Enterprise SaaS (US Remote)

  • Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise SaaS (Remote - Central Territory)

  • Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Cyber (US Remote)

  • (New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - InsurTech (NYC Hybrid)

  • (New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Media Tech (NYC OR LA Remote)

  • Account Executive - PE Backed - HealthTech (US Remote)

I'm also always looking to speak to great candidates for future roles:

  • Chief Revenue Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • Chief Marketing Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • VP of Product Marketing - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

  • VP of Partnerships - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI

Highlights from The GTM Kickback! Podcast

We've had a number of excellent interviews recently on The GTM Kickback!, with many more already booked and recorded on the way. 

Want to be a guest? Ping me on LinkedIn! 😎

We're looking for: High-performance GTM Operators, VC/PE Investors in SaaS, and Leading GTM Consultants for early stage technology businesses

New to "The GTM Kickback!"? Subscribe to the podcast!

This newsletter is powered by Lunar Executive Search - Finding Premier GTM Talent for Growth Stage Tech Businesses. 

We help disruptive technology companies grow. For venture-funded start-ups and PE-backed enterprise software firms, we have a track record in finding the Top 10% of Sales and Marketing Leadership Talent, and doing so swiftly. 

Reach out here: [email protected] 

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Till next time, 

Joey