I want to share with you a little story about a very sweet leader I once worked with. She was the kind of person you instantly wanted to like, to know, to watch to see where she was going. Fun, together, looking sharp. It just didn’t make sense to me when I saw her struggling in her leadership. She had changed companies 6 times. Twice she signed up under a different person to try again in one company. I watched her meetings, they were glorious, big experiences with much to-do during the hour long gathering. However looking a bit closer Ii realized something. She shared the company vision, she celebrated the leaders of her company and regaled the crowed attending with stories of their success and her own encouragement to take their business to the top. However I noticed one thing that was missing…she rarely if ever talked about how SHE was reaching the top or SHOWED them how she did her demonstrations of the product. That is kind of like showing an olympic runner receiving the GOLD without showing someone where the track is, the shoes, shorts, and lines to race or how to run. There was much more emphasis on celebrating the possibilities! Creating darling go-withs and prizes and creating events.
Have you ever been involved with an organization that painted a journey to the moon for you but didn’t give you a roadmap to town? That’s what we do when we spend more time motivating instead of educating our teams! We are motivated by our own success through experience. Mary Kay said we get excited all over again as soon as there is a sell! Isn’t that the truth? When we are not engaging appointments in whatever line of work we do, we can easily talk our way out of the actions that bring outcomes! Leaders who take the lead know that communication with self, becoming your OWN cheering crowd is necessary to consistently get results. Guess what? As a leader, it’s more important to spend time TEACHING and MODELING how to do each step as we DO the business than to spend time painting ultra success rainbows for new workers who do not know how to begin. Everyone seeks to feel empowered. Competence brings confidence, so it’s our job as leaders to develop a competent sales force. That happens through awareness, exposure to education, practice with a leader, and independent experience with clients. That format creates strong leaders through experience and strong followers that become strong leaders!
What are you communicating to your team/staff/organization? While recognition IS important, let’s recognize the actions that lead to outcomes, not the outcomes themselves until quarterly awards or where ever your company recognitions are! When you begin as a leader to focus on specific actions, particularly those that are NECESSARY for individuals to grow past their experience zone, you will see not only your own sales improve as you TEACH and focus on why you do what you do, but you’ll REACH more new team members and support them with competency which is the BEST gift you can give them in their new business. If you’re leading and working well, you’ll not only be able to reach your own freedom choices and goals, but you’ll receive accolades from your company too!
That leader you ask? What happened to that leader? Well, when she admitted to herself and later to me she only knew how to talk about what to do, but hadn’t done it herself yet….and then turned the truth around and actually DID classes, then taught others to teach classes…and do the customer care she hadn’t done before….her organization grew and she quickly realized she was truly a leader who took the lead of her own success and her team followed right behind her with their own! Success is learnable, the question is are we teachable? Leaders take the lead in learning, and leaders who learn LEAD!
P.S. The August 6th Call http://fccdl.in/U0wZCxakB
Thank you, I pray constantly for the wisdom to work my MK business in the way our founder meant for it to be done, certainly my prayers are being answered when I listen to your insightful instruction. Thank you for sharing. When the student is ready, the teacher appears – I certainly pray I am ready because you are certainly a wonderful teacher, I will keep you posted as to my progress as I implement the things I am learning from you. Thank you again
Thank you Barbara for sharing ..that is exactly what I was Looking for.
And for Linda you are truly a great leader.
Wow — OUCH!! That is so me! Thanks for this post. Awareness of a problem is the first step to success. I would say I am guilty of teaching by words and not by action. Duly noted and I will work on correcting this.
Thank you again Barbara!
You are always right on the mark! I just returned home from a very busy day! Celebrating consultants at our Rising Leaders Club monthly event. They have to earn their way to attend, by doing the work.
Tonight I taught them how to give a fabulous presentation, which of course is what I share when doing my presentations!
It was so wonderful to see you when you were here in Canada! Thank you again for being my friend and mentor! I truly appreciate you!
Btw, If you are able to share your pics I would really appreciate it! I think you have my cell# 🙂 <3
Double Ouch! Everything Carol Moon said and More! As you probably know, in translating, some words aren’t translatable so you look for the best alternate. While searching for just the right word, you really, really learn what the word means and it’s full concept. I saw sooo much of me and I was blushing throughout. My skills do not need brushing up, they need a whole new coat of paint and put my “Teachings” to the test.
Barbara, you are an awesome Leader, which is why I follow you.
Thank you, Olga