From Chaos to Clarity: Proposal Leadership That Wins

This post kicks off my new blog series, Leading from the Trenches. Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing a few insights drawn from my nearly two decades in proposal management and capture consulting. The series is aimed specifically at senior leaders – capture managers, executives, and proposal directors – who are balancing strategic oversight with the day-to-day challenges of opportunity pursuit and delivery.

My goal is to offer perspectives that make sense coming from someone who sits at the C-suite level while still rolling up my sleeves with bid teams in the trenches. Expect straightforward tips, a touch of storytelling, and advice that is strategic, experienced, and accessible (with the occasional emoji when warranted 😉).

So, let’s begin at the beginning: proposals rarely start neat and tidy; they frequently begin in chaos and uncertainty. But with the right leadership, that chaos can transform into clarity – and clarity is what wins.

When proposal chaos reigns from the start

Every bid professional has lived through the proposal from hell (probably more times than they care to admit).
It starts with the capture phase, which is rushed through, if it happens at all – insufficient information is collected and not enough effective communication with the customer results in a misaligned strategy.

Then, not all the intelligence from the capture phase makes it to the proposal development team, which means we lose valuable information. The stakeholders have likely shifted focus, thinking they have already set the direction.

If the proposal development team is managed poorly, the chaos is compounded by unclear deadlines and a poorly defined solution. This results in brutal red reviews and a stressful road to submission with an exhausted and unmotivated team.

All of the above is where leadership can make the difference. Strong proposal leaders bring order across the whole proposal lifecycle from business development and capture through to post proposal and award.
The best leaders are strong across three key areas:

1. Communication

• They can communicate clearly to articulate the vision and motivate the team.
• They are brilliant at conflict resolution.
• They can bring together a team and build team spirit to keep morale high throughout.

2. Program/project management

• Strategic planning – they are able to set the direction of the program.
• Delegation – they build a strong team of people who can deliver.
• Time management is a strength – they manage in a structured manner, not in a puddle of panic in the last week.
• While able to think strategically, they also have a sharp eye for detail to ensure the customer receives a proposal that delivers what they need.

3. Personal qualities

• Calmness and positivity are key – nobody needs a leader who is running around like their hair is on fire. 😵 Swan-like behavior works best (even if you are paddling like a mad thing underwater). The leader’s calmness and positivity are reassuring.
• Ability to make difficult decisions under pressure.
• Problem-solving ability is essential, too (and working on ways around an issue that may not have been considered).

That being said, leadership can also derail progress. Too often, executives remain absent during early campaign development only to reappear near submission with fresh contrary opinions. This not only undermines the team’s work but also injects chaos into the schedule, introduces last-minute errors, and sends the damaging message that executive opinions outweigh the contributions of the entire team and costly color team reviews.

By setting priorities, enforcing timelines, and creating calm under pressure, leaders don’t just manage tasks – they set the tone for how the entire team approaches the opportunity. When leaders respect those structures, teams thrive. When they don’t, resentment grows (and win rates plummet).

The following are a few examples where strong leadership has made a difference:

Example 1: When proposal leadership shapes team dynamics – making unpopular decisions is key

Leadership can change the entire dynamic of a bid team, for better or worse. I’ve seen it firsthand. In one case, executives made the unpopular but necessary decision to bring in outside support. The move wasn’t welcomed initially, but it ultimately gave the team the authority and discipline needed to succeed.

I’ve also seen executives step up in moments of crisis. When a capture manager suffered a heart attack during a proposal effort, leadership immediately stepped in to fill gaps and ensure the team had the support required to keep moving forward. Their presence provided the stability and direction needed at a critical time.

Example 2: Reinvigorating a programme due to customer disarray

Sometimes the greatest challenge isn’t internal at all, it’s the customer. On one project, the customer repeatedly issued deadline extensions without explanation. The result? Weeks of dead time, dwindling focus, and morale that dropped with each vague communication. By the time the final amendment arrived, with long-awaited answers, RFP changes, and only 7 days left to respond, the team was exhausted.

This was when leadership mattered most. We reset the plan with a refined schedule, tailored “battle rhythm” meetings, provided an updated compliance matrix, a refreshed Kanban board, and a sharpened win strategy. That structure didn’t just restore order; it restored confidence and motivation. In the end, the team delivered a compliant, compelling proposal despite the chaos that preceded it.

Example 3: Turning non-compliance into a win – knowing when to make changes

At Salentis, we’re often asked to step in when things have already gone awry. In one case, a client reached their Red Team Review only to discover that the proposal’s most critical section, the one weighted most heavily in evaluation, was non-compliant. Worse still, this section was evaluated first. If it failed, the rest of the document and the team’s hard work and unique solution wouldn’t matter.

Despite some slightly dented egos, I was called in to help right the ship. With disciplined leadership, reorganized priorities, and targeted engagement from the right subject matter experts, we rebuilt the section to align with requirements.

The transformation was striking. What began as a glaring weakness became a compliant, compelling strength. That proposal went on to win, demonstrating exactly what the client team was capable of when properly aligned.

From proposal chaos to clarity: The Salentis Way

Chaos doesn’t resolve itself. It takes deliberate leadership to bring order, discipline, and momentum to a pursuit. At Salentis, this campaign development is about guiding an opportunity from first conversations through to submission and beyond, with leadership setting the rhythm at every stage.
That means:

• Early focus on alignment – making sure capture intelligence feeds seamlessly into proposal development, rather than being lost in translation.
• A realistic, disciplined schedule – not one that looks good on paper, but one the team can actually deliver against.
• Defined ownership and accountability – so contributors know their roles and executives know when and how to weigh in.
• Structured reviews with purpose – reviews that test compliance and strategy, not just style preferences.
• Active facilitation – ensuring the bid team stays motivated and can concentrate on substance while someone keeps the process steady.

When leaders set this foundation early, they create the conditions for success and for people to do their best work. That’s the difference between stumbling through chaos and executing a strategy with confidence.

Leaders as strategists and stabilizers

At their core, capture and proposal leadership are about more than managing a document or a price. They’re about guiding a campaign. Leaders must be both strategists – charting the path to a win – and stabilizers, ensuring that their teams remain focused and resilient no matter the turbulence.

If you’re a senior manager in capture and proposal development, ask yourself: are you bringing clarity where there is chaos? Are you setting the structure that allows your teams to excel? Because in the end, leadership is what turns opportunity into victory.

Closing Note

This is just the start of Leading from the Trenches. Over the coming weeks, I’ll share more on how leaders can shape every stage of the proposal lifecycle – from kickoff discipline, to review structures, to supporting teams after submission. I look forward to continuing the conversation. Until then, I’d love to hear: how do you bring order to the chaos of proposal development? 😊

About the author

Mindy Marchel is Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Salentis International. With 17 years of proposal development experience, Mindy brings a sharp focus on what it takes to win. As co-developer of The Salentis Way® she empowers teams around the world to deliver maximum quality and value to government, infrastructure, energy, and IT clients. With over 150 projects totaling more than US$100 billion under her belt, Mindy supports Salentis teams across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and UK-EMEA – all with one goal: to craft compliant, compelling bids that make our clients the obvious choice.

Article published: October 2025