Today, I want to talk to you about three mistakes I see people make when it comes to leadership in the network marketing and social selling space. I want to share with you what I’ve learned in this industry that has been so beneficial and has helped me pivot out of these mistakes and coach other leaders to really think differently when it comes to team leadership.
What’s so interesting about network marketing and social selling is that we have an army of volunteers. Everyone signs up for their own business, so it’s very different from working in the traditional corporate culture. It’s very different to mobilize, unify, support, and inspire thousands of teammates and help everyone reach their individual goals.
3 Mistakes in Network Marketing
The first mistake is assuming that everyone wants what you want. If you’re a leader in an organization, if you’re somebody with big goals, it’s easy to assume that most people want what you want. But, the bottom line is, that most people don’t. Let’s talk about the 80-20 rule. 20% of the people do 80% of the work, and 80% of the people do 20% of the work. If you’re in that 20%, you can often have frustrations of not understanding why people don’t have the same goals you have. Here’s the truth: a lot of people get into the network marketing and social selling business because they want to make between $500 and $1,000 a month. Some just love the community. Some may have initially thought that they wanted to do that and then something else became a priority for them. Some of them are not in a mindset space where they actually want to put the work in. So, the key is never assuming that anyone wants the same thing that you want.
Even if someone says they want it, it’s up to them to actually do it. Oftentimes, I’ll hear people say that they want something but they’re not really ready to go after it yet. It’s all about listening, meeting them where they are at, asking good questions without judgment, checking in to see where they’re at and what their goals are, and helping them meet their goals at their timeline. Here’s what I’ve learned – the ones in that 20% group are going to do it anyway. They will rise to the top. They will be the ones that are in action. And those are the ones that you can lead with that mindset. Everyone else you simply love for being there at all.
The second mistake is the idea of expecting anyone on your team to do anything and blaming anyone on your team for not achieving something that did not lead to your personal goals. This is something I hear a lot. Expecting anyone to do anything leads to disappointment, and it’s really not our job as leaders to expect things from our team, except kindness and appreciation. What we can expect from our team is:
- Respect
- Kindness
- Professionalism
- Appreciation
everything else has no place in the organization. Even if they said they do it and even if they said that they were going to do it, it is on them, that is their expectation of themselves. If you let go of all expectations and just appreciate where the team is, people will feel appreciated.
The third mistake is this idea of pushing your team. In these situations, what ends up happening is you burn people out, and you hit your goals but everyone’s tired. It’s hard to sustain.
Last November, I hit a huge milestone in my business from a volume perspective. I was so close to a big rank advancement. There were a couple of little pieces that just needed to be tightened up. I found myself starting to push for it. But, I had a moment where I could just tell energetically, that it felt wrong. I just backed away from it. It didn’t matter. I had already achieved a phenomenal goal. I didn’t need this additional little title. I just decided that it was going to happen when it was going to happen and I wasn’t going to push and squeeze and shove everyone to get over the line. The minute I made that decision, I felt so much better. I felt more authentic. I felt like myself.
It’s all about trusting your abilities as a leader and knowing that as long as you show up with appreciation and kindness, and you’re inspiring in your own words and actions, that is what creates great leadership in an organization.
Hopefully, this has sparked some curiosity in you and if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me.
In the meantime, remember, you are magnetic and people are waiting to hear what you have to say.
Love,
Tracey.
