TOP TEN TRAITS OF GREAT LEADERS

Being a leader in network marketing today is different from what it was 10 or even 5 years ago. Today the network marketing industry has a faster pace of change and many more demands with the infusion of social media and technology. Leading and managing have moved well beyond just commanding the troops to “get it done,” “selling door-to-door,” or “having home meetings left and right. There are a lot of leadership styles but the best leaders share some common traits. Below is a list of ten leadership traits to get you thinking about your own leadership approach for 2015.

1. Be Results Orientated. Let me be candid and honest with you. The bottom line as a leader means you are responsible for delivering results however they are defined. Truthfully, it is not about effort, which is no doubt good and very much needed, but what actually counts is what you accomplish. A leader always keeps this in the forefront as a guide to their activity. Great leaders pinpoint and spend their energy on the most effective activities to achieve the greatest outcomes. Remember, action orientation is solid, but you must be oriented on the right actions. Don’t just be busy for busy sake; be a productive leader who gets results.

2. Be Customer/Team Focused. Whether you are offering a product or a service, in order to get the best results, you have to know your customers. Customers may be internal or external but we all have them. (Note: If you don’t know who these individuals are, you need to get an answer right away.).You need to direct your efforts at what customers need or will need. Get “outside the box.” In other words, look beyond your area. You should find out what your customers want by asking them. You can’t perceive this one. You should continually listen; really listen to what they have to say. The same goes for your team members. Your team is looking for someone to help guide and direct them. Understanding their fears, needs and desires and really listening to them will allow you to address them for forward progression of your business.

3. Have a Vision. A leader is not a leader unless they know where they are headed. Have a picture of your goal in your head, and be able to communicate it effectively. CEO’s are not the only ones who do this. It is vitally important that you are able to paint a vivid picture of where your group or organization is headed. Your vision should serve as a motivator and guide extreme action. Make your vision a shared one with your group and they will share the same with theirs. Every member of your group should be able to describe a similar picture and communicate it.

4. Be Strategically Focused. I know you want to do big things in your business and if that is the case you must be more strategic in what you do and how you go about doing it. Today’s leaders need to be ahead of marketplace demands while maintaining other critical functions. This is not easy to do, but it is something leaders need to tackle head first. You cannot be exclusively focused on what is in front of you because the future may pass you by. Be mindful of your present, no doubt but pay some attention to the future. Think beyond your daily action list and begin to envision the bigger picture and looking forward. These actions are critical to your success as a leader. Without the ability to see big and think big you will run directly into a wall because your head is down too much. A leader should be strategically focused at least 15% of the time (the higher the level you climb, the higher the percentage). Look at where you actually spend your time, and make the adjustment to be more strategic.

5. Effectively Get Work Done Through Others. Network marketing as we all know is a people business. It also is a business where you do not have to go it alone so, getting things done yourself is not necessary. Once again, if you want to do big things, it requires effectively getting work done through others (leverage). One needs to become very good at leveraging the time of others. This type of delegating is not about getting items off your plate. That is about transparency and being a great leader. If you say, “If you want it done, you must do it yourself,” stop. You need to become better at leveraging and working well with others and having things done through them. If you need 500 people in your organization to get to the next level this is possible alone but isn’t it easier with a team. Take a look at each week, look at what you have to do and make sure you are delegating and leveraging effectively. Figure out who you should be working directly with and that tasks are communicated well down the line.

6. Be Good at Dealing with Conflict. Many times conflict is viewed as something bad. Conflict is never bad in fact it can be a good thing because it sparks communication. Beyond that a cornerstone of working effectively with people is being very good at dealing with conflict. The reality is that conflict is going to happen and that is because we are all different, have different views and do things differently. So, there should not be a surprise when conflict arises. You should even expect it. It is not the conflict but how you deal with it that is important. As long as conflict does not become counterproductive it can be used to strengthen relationships. Once you learn to successfully resolve conflict, you can then harness the best from your team.

7. Ask Great Questions. This is your business, your potential livelihood, your future and because of that you need to know everything about it. We’ve all seen it. You are in a meeting, at a conference, on a webinar and only a few asks questions. Asking questions allows you to grow and to pass on the knowledge gained to others. When you do not know ask be a person of authority and be a person who ask the great questions. Knowledge is power as they say.

8. Make High-Quality Decisions. Making decisions is one of the fundamental actions of any executive. And, the great ones make really good decisions. Making decisions is easy--heck, you can flip a coin to pick between two things. As you grow as a leader you will find that making quality decisions is much harder. If you spend time understanding, reflecting, and learning about your decision making process it will help you to make great decisions that are productive to your growth. Leaders need to make both quality and timely decisions.

9. Be a Trusted Leader. People want to follow individuals who are doing great things. They want to be a part of something great not only in their lives but others. If you are a trusted leader you will get far more from your team and have a stronger following. So it should be a goal to be someone your people can trust. Remember, trust is built over time, conversely it can be lost quickly. The same time and effort put forth to build trust is the same time and effort you should be committed to maintaining it as well.

10. Be an Incredible Communicator. One of the things that all great leaders have in common is their ability to communicate. Communication is one of the fundamental leadership qualities. Virtually everything that you will do will be done through communication, whether it is launching an initiative, reporting growth results, prospecting, enrolling a prospect, etc. Remember that communication goes hand in hand with listening. Listening is just as important as speaking and may be moreso. Great leaders listen incredibly well.

Whatever your leadership style is it will be the tempo and tone for your team especially when it comes to the development of future leaders. This is truly the classic “follow-the-leader” situation. As up and coming leaders emerge they will watch and mimic how things are done from the top on down. One should always lead in a way that you want copied--because it will be. Remember those that are up and coming are looking at you as the barometer as to what a leader is and can accomplish.

Since it is the start of a new year, look at the above list and determine which one or two traits you would like to enhance in 2015. Assess where you are. Study the skill set. Observe others who are great at the trait. Then, make a goal out of it and identify some actions you will take to improve. You can have Purpose Directed Success today!

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