Are you a leader? If not, why not?
Most people know that being a leader is crucial for a network marketer to grow a strong team. Yet, most people don’t become one. Strange. No?
This is not because being a leader requires a special DNA. In fact, ANYONE can be a leader. But not everyone does. Why? Because most complicate things way more than it needs to be. The good news is that I’m here to clear your sight. Finish reading this post and you will be READY and PUMPED to go out there and start influencing people with your powerful leadership.
1. Being a Leader Does NOT Mean Being a Guru
There seems to be confusion when it comes to the term “leader” especially in the network marketing industry. Being a leader does not mean you are a guru. No. You don’t have to know everything and have everything to start leading. In fact when you truly look into the definition of the word “leader”, there is no mention of knowledge nor experience level requirement.
Okay, that’s a little vague so let’s look into what the word “lead” means.
You should be wondering: Then what does it take to be a leader? Now this leads to number two.
2. Leaders Lead with Heart NOT with Brain
There is always a common quality I see in ALL leaders: Passion. But for you to be a greater and more valuable leader, you need one more thing: Compassion.
And here is a little fun topic to think about: You can have passion for success. You can have passion for money. Oh yes, that financial freedom! You can have passion for fame. You can have passion to help other people. Passion can be towards anything and anyone. But guess what? People don’t have compassion for computers nor compassion for wealth. Compassion goes only for other people and living things.
Passion helps you to look ahead and press forward.
Compassion helps you to look back to remember others behind you.
To be a leader you need to have BOTH. How else can you guide others and serve others? (Read the definition above one more time.) People may admire you for marching forward fast and far, but they will not follow and trust you unless you are willing to take them along with you.
3. Leaders Are Progressive
Now, I know that in number one I have mentioned that you don’t have to be the best of the best of the best to start leading. But this does not mean that you can just sit where you are and be stagnant.
You don’t need to be universe ahead of your followers, but you do need to be a step ahead to guide them to a better place. Just ONE STEP. That’s just enough for you to get started but your followers will soon catch up. So while they are doing their work to get to where you are, make sure to work on your next step. Then guide your followers to get to where you are while you are working on your next step. This shall be the never ending cycle.
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The hardest part of being a leader is making the DECISION to be one. But you don’t have to know everything. In fact, leadership comes more from the heart. No matter where you are at, you can lead indeed. Just make sure you are progressive in your growth so you actually move your followers forward instead of holding them back.
Too often, network marketers tend to hold back with stepping it up with their leadership role. They say that they are going to wait until they have some kind of irresistible result first and then lead. But I tell you with all my heart, you will not have such reward unless you become a leader. So the best time for you to start is TODAY.
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Your Personal Brandaholic Marketer,
Daye Yun
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P.S.
What are some other leadership traits you are aware of?
Leave a comment below to share with everyone!
December 4th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Great stuff here Daye! I think everyone has a leader inside them. Your passion is something is that you can develop leadership within.
Thanks for sharing Daye!
November 11th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Great Post Daye. I think a great quality of a leader is Clarity of Vision and the ability to inspire others into action with that Vision. As Stephen Covey says to think Win-Win on a team level.
As you say, leadership comes fro the heart and having the team’s best interest in heart all the time.
Cheers,
~Joseph
October 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Hi Daye,
Your right, becoming a leader is a conscious CHOICE! If you BELIEVE that you have what it takes to positively influence others to take action, that is the first step to making it so!
It does indeed take a BIG heart to step up and lift people as you yourself grow and evolve. Growth is a never ending process and REAL leaders lead by example.
~Fredric
Fredric´s last blog ..What Is Personal Development And How Does It Relate To The Characteristics Of An Entrepreneur?
October 26th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
I think the following is my favorite quote from your post:
“PASSION helps you to look ahead and press forward.
COMPASSION helps you to look back to remember others behind you.”
When you have passion combined with compassion, only then can you truly lead.
Heather
Heather Taskovics´s last blog ..Perfection: Letting Go Of The Myth And Allowing Creativity To Grow
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:42 am
Daye,
This is a great post on what it means to be a leader. You touched up some quality aspects that usually go unnoticed or ones that people don’t talk about. I really liked what you said regarding just being one step in front of your followers and continuing to take action.
I also resonated with the idea that leaders have passion and compassion. Two quality traits that are vital for leader. Leaders need to relate with their followers and be able to connect. This can’t be done if the leader has a ego bigger that the doorway.
We all should be taking your guidance and leading from the heart and continuing to grow so we offer more value to our friends and colleagues.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Ken Pickard´s last blog ..Welcome To My Blog Launch Party!
October 15th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Daye…I really can relate to the Passion/Compassion part. To be a true leader you do have to both, there is no way you can lead if you don’t know where you are going and if you can’t learn from the past you’ll make the same mistakes over and over again.
Excellent Post.
Aaron Wyssmann´s last blog ..Life’s A Team Sport…Stop Trying To Do It By Yourself
October 13th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I read many blogs, especially on leadership, but this was a real quality-article on leadership, and the reason is, it addresses real-life experiences that you apparently had, and so did I, with people that are afraid to lead.
It is important to note, that one can simply lead by example or by showing the way. Much too often we see all kinds of funny characters out there calling themselves “the millionaire coach”, and they are funny looking highschool-kids and one can’t help but wonder: what the heck is going on here?
It is way more important, as you have pointed out, to lead by expertise. Everone who had been in marketing for 30 days and has taken it upon him to actually learn someting, is WAY ahead of a newbie. He’s a leader already.
I guess the decision is the hardest part because we are insecure. We are really moving towards pain with that one. Those that can just go where it’s painful, will reap the rewards multifold. Thank you for the great article.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Daye, this is a great post. What people need to remember is that no leader started out as a an expert, and many never become experts. Henry Ford was famous for saying that he did not have the answer questions about building automobiles. But he knew who to go to when he needed answers.
Leadership is about coordinating the people who have the specific skills and knowledge necessary to accomplish goals, and focusing them in the direction of a specific goal.
Jason Kerchner´s last blog ..Applying the Law of Attraction the Napoleon Hill Way
September 28th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Hi Daye,
This information about being a leader is awesome and very informative.
I’m going to reflect on this finely written post.
I believe you’re a true leader! Thank you for sharing.
Daryl
Daryl Whicker´s last blog ..Teach Your Children These Tips