How Do I Lead My Team?

This is probably the most frequently asked question that I get from other Network Marketers and people on my own team, "How do I lead my team? How do I get my people to do something?" Well my friends, leadership starts with YOU! If no one is leading, YOU lead. If no one is doing anything, YOU do something. Maybe the old saying will remind you once more "Good leaders are born, GREAT leaders are made." So either promote yourself to becoming a leader or just start doing the activity you'd expect out of a leader. Many great leaders I know in our industry were not "appointed" to be a leader, they stepped into it by doing what others are not willing to do, NOT what others are incapable of doing. Reread the last sentence again and again and again until it will actually synch in. In the world of MLM and Network Marketing, leaders are rewarded through their activity unlike in corporate America where they're mainly appointed into leadership based on their resume. RESULTS is what counts at the end of the day, not some nicely written resume and a few referrals.

I remember back in 2005 when I joined the Network Marketing company I'm still with today I was just learning the ropes. The thought of doing the presentations never even entered my mind. I'm the "reserved" type by nature. So my sponsor who eventually became one of my great friends and mentors started doing meetings for me and the team. He drove about 50 miles each way to do the weekly meetings for us. Eventually he said "Raph, someone needs to step up and continue doing these events, 'cause if not you will kill your business." Now, mind you we had anywhere from 30 to 60 people at each event every single week and ALL of them were on my team. I was ready to throw in the towel because at the time I'd literally rather be dead than talk in front of a group. Lucky for me I threw my fear to the side and stepped up. For the next 6 months my speaking experience became very interesting, to say the least. I don't even want to tell you what I literally had to go through physically before going in front of the room. It was a nightmare. Then, to top it off, I had people walk out on me in the middle of the presentation (like that made the pressure go away). But hey, i remembered the wise words of Brian Tracy "Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." So I pressed on. I had no other choice because quitting was not an option for me and neither was losing.

Fast forward 5 years, public speaking is actually fun today. I spoke in front of an audience in the thousands with ease. All because of a decision I had to make in 2005. I'm not saying this to impress anyone, there is plenty of room to get better ALWAYS, I'm sharing this to make a point that ANYONE can step into leadership as soon as they DECIDE. It's a decision to lead, to become more, to give more, to influence and to set an example. Today, in our harsh economic times, when more people are getting fired and laid off, when marriages are being broken up at the rates we haven't seen before, when more kids lose respect for their parents and elders, when people lose faith in their government, leadership is in high demand. You show me anything great, a family, company, organization, religious group, house of worship, a network marketing company, and army and I will show you a leader that's responsible.

In todays day and age of Network Marketing, especially with the presence of Internet, I believe that there is too much distraction from staying focused on achieving your goal. And the weak always fall prey to it. It's one thing to take on another mlm outside of your primary company for diversification (I'll save this for another post) but to keep jumping from one company to another due to the "greener pastures" well, that is just ridiculous. A good leader stays focused. Priority is key. Discipline is crucial. Believe it or not, people do watch what you do. So I urge you to continually work on yourself and your craft. Read more books, hire a mentor if you can't find anyone in your organization who has a financial interest in your growth, attend seminars (in house and generic), listen to audio programs, read articles, subscribe to leadership magazines ( Success.com would be a great place to start )

When it comes to recruiting more leaders into your business, that's what many of us desire anyway, it has to start with you. Now, you can and most probably will end up with people in your downline that are much better than you but the question is can you keep them? I'm designing a system right now that will teach people how to recruit and KEEP great leaders in their MLM to create better and faster duplication. You can access that system while it's being formulated at this moment Here. I even named it RecruitMoreLeaders.com because that is exactly what it's designed to do. It will teach you how to recruit more and great leaders so you can actually call your income a "walk-away-income". Many top networkers confuse their 5 figure monthly income with "beach money' simply because the real "beach money" can be truly enjoyed when you have pure duplication beyond level 3 and 4 in your organization. In many cases the top "gurus" that do make 5 figures a month that promote systems that teach "how to sponsor hundreds of reps in your downline without ever picking up the phone" are just master sales people or great copy writers. That is not what Network Marketing is all about. The guys and gals who sponsor hundreds of people in a short period of time can't duplicate beyond level 3 of their organization if their life depended on it, ESPECIALLY keep that income past 12th month without their input. And I know that's a pretty bald statement, but let's see if they can show you "their books". True leadership in Network Marketing is developed, it is created through a culture you create in your group and with consistent dedication to learning, NOT by mastering the art of sales.

I hope you found this post useful and insightful. If you did, don't forget to share it