Posts tagged leadership

For some it means “making little money,” while for others it’s “making lots (of) money.” Why the difference? Why do some succeed wildly, while others try MLM opportunities again and again, only to fail?

For those of you who wonder what the heck I’m talking about, let me say that MLM “is a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they recruit, creating a downline of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation. Other terms for MLM include network marketing, direct selling,and referral marketing.”

The Wikipedia post on Multi-Level Marketing goes on to say…

“MLM companies have been a frequent subject of criticism as well as the target of lawsuits. Criticism has focused on their similarity to illegal pyramid schemes, price-fixing of products, high initial start-up costs, emphasis on recruitment of lower-tiered salespeople over actual sales, encouraging if not requiring salespeople to purchase and use the company’s products, potential exploitation of personal relationships which are used as new sales and recruiting targets, complex and sometimes exaggerated compensation schemes, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members’ enthusiasm and devotion. Not all MLM companies operate the same way, and MLM groups have persistently denied that their techniques are anything but legitimate business practices.”

What makes a successful Multi-Level Marketer? Is it the ability to ignore these all-too-common perceptions, and forge ahead with networking and relationship building? Is it leadership, pure and simple?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot - and I believe it’s time to hear from you. What do YOU think?

(Source: Wikipedia)

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.” — Theodore Hesburgh, President of the University of Notre Dame

OK. So you’ve got a vision. You’ve recruited a team of others whole share that vision. How do you keep them motivated?

Getting people to accomplish something is much easier if they have the inspiration to do so. Inspire literally means “to breathe life into.” And in order to perform that, we have to have some life ourselves. Three main actions will aid you in accomplishing this:

1. Be passionate: In organizations where the is a leader with great enthusiasm about a project, a trickle-down effect will occur. You must be committed to the work you are doing. If you do not communicate excitement, how can you expect your people to get worked up about it?

2. Get your team involved in the decision making process: People who are involved in the decision making process participate much more enthusiastically than those who just carry out their boss’s order. Help them contribute and tell them you value their opinions. Listen to them and incorporate their ideas when it makes sense to so.

3. Know what your organization is about!: General Creighton W. Abrams used to say in the mid-1970s, is that “the Army is not made up of people. The Army is people. Every decision we make is a people issue.” Your organization is the same.

It makes sense then that your primary responsibility as a leader is to develop people and enable them to reach their full potential. Your people may come from diverse backgrounds, but they all have goals they want to accomplish. Create a “people environment” where they truly can be all they can be.

(Source: nwlink.com)