We cannot lead where we do not go

James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s book, The Truth About Leadership, offers 10 really essential leadership tips.  Actually, they call them ‘Truths.’

It is a brilliant work.

There are 10 Truths about leadership, so let’s check them out over the next few days.

Let’s get to the bottom line first.  If we are going to build a big organization, we need to be a leader even before we have a group.

We are going to get what we expect and while we can’t teach what we do not know…we’ve got to be clear with ourselves regarding leadership.

How?

Simple.  The speed of the leaders will determine the speed of the pack, and so while we can’t teach what we do not know, neither can we lead where we will not go.

If you’re going to build an organization, you need to lead.

I loved their no-nonsense approach…and I’ve adapted them to my business, the 10 truths.

It was so powerful, their simple approach, that we’ll add it to the Master Key System course next fall.

Lead.

Start now.

Truth #1 – You make a difference

So often I hear people shy away from any leadership because they are not getting big checks.

Checks don’t make leaders.

No leaders STARTED with checks.

We all start at zero, zip, nada.

Understanding that you make a difference begins here.

Can’t show the plan?  Find someone who can…lead them there.

Can’t close yet? Learn, use your upline and have your new folks use they upline.

You know what to do.  Even if you are new, you know more than someone you just enrolled.  You making little differences, moving what you know to others, is leading.

In fact, that is networking.

You’ve got to believe in yourself.  Why would others if you don’t?

People cannot follow a parked car.

All I did to get going and start leading was let my upline know how serious I was – by bringing guests all the time – and I resourced 3 folks upline constantly with the people I was enrolling.

I believed I could get them help and I did.

That is leading.

People cannot follow a parked car.

Truth #2 – Credibility is the foundation of leadership

You don’t need the biggest check – or any check to start leading…but always tell the truth.

So often I hear new folks ‘exaggerating’ their check to a prospect of one of their reps.

Huge mistake!

Why?

You just told your downline rep you lie.

People won’t follow people that lie.

Don’t ‘bend’ the truth.

Saying, “I don’t know but I will find out,” is a monster plus…bluffing or saying you’ll find out and not following through undermines trust.

Demonstrate values, dead center.

Guy we talked to today wanted to know about another leader in the company.

Wanted to join the best team and one of his measures was…paychecks.

I did not ‘bend’ nor avoid what I am making to this prospect.

Why?

Besides the obvious?

Well, it’s more important to continue to show hardcore values to the rep.  Reps are more important than prospects.  They drive your business and the values you demonstrate will make all the difference in the world in developing leaders.

Truth #3 – Values drive commitment

I learned back in 1972 that ‘if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

It is just as true today…

…and the speed that world and business moves at means people are making quicker decisions about what they commit to.  The core of that commitment is going to be based on their perception of your values.

Look, the ‘nice welcome email’ and the ‘if there is anything I can do to help you’ from uplines may sound nice but it’s pretty much bullshit.

New people don’t know what to do and most are too busy and intimidated to call further upline than their sponsor.

It’s why duplication breaks down, which ironically, leads to more recruiting and we keep making the same mistake.

It’s not that most people are un-coachable.  It’s that the coaching staff sucks, promises support but does nothing.

We’ve separated ourselves from the ‘sponsor-sponsor-sponsor’ by accepting the fact most uplines never get past their personals because, ta-da, they are not getting duplication and have to keep sponsoring!

People who work the 3-Deep Pattern and insist on it from the people who want to work with them commit to their teams and their teams commit to them.

Why?

The value ‘if there is anything I can do to help, let me know (wink-wink) is replaced with a demonstration to help…deep down the line and the team picks it up.

By the way, once I explained the 3-Deep Pattern to the prospect I mentioned in point 2, he agreed to join this team.

Talk is cheap… “let me know if I can help?”  Give me a break.

Just help…and this will explode the commitment to you from your personals as a leader.  As soon as they see you are actually working in their downline daily, teaching network marketing skills free.  This, not speeches, is leadership that is value-based.

Can you think of any value more compelling in business than helping other people?

How would you feel if I was working 2 or 3 levels down under you daily?

Think your peeps might like it?

We’ll be back with more leadership tips, skills, and truths in a day or two.

OK…t’s done.  Here is part 2 in this series, click here for next segment.

believe

mark januszewski

world’s laziest networker

About the Author

  • Great tips Mark! I’ve always heard that “leaders are readers” and you read and share the best stuff out there!

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