By Neil Phillips.

When direct selling leaders talk about growing their leadership, they are very practical.  They say things like:

  • I want more people on my team
  • I want a higher income
  • I want to level up to a more senior title
  • I need a plan to set a new record this fall
  • I want more leaders on my team

In other words, they want the results of growing their leadership.  Who can fault them?  They want to point to an accomplishment and say, “I’ve grown my leadership.”  They think that when they get their practical results, they will stay there.

Unfortunately, many don’t.  Here’s why:  when you focus on the practical, you aren’t growing your leadership; you are driving for results.  If you haven’t raised your leadership, the results will fade away over time.

To grow your leadership, focus on YOU, not on the results.  YOU need to shift before you can get lasting results.

Janes Kouzes and Barry Posner wrote one of the clearest explanations of this in their book, The Truth About Leadership.  The book is based on thirty years of research and more than a million survey responses. They layout ten time-tested truths about leadership.  Here they are:

  1. You make a difference. You believe in yourself. This is a fundamental belief that you can and will have a positive impact.
  2. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. If people don’t believe in you, they won’t willingly follow you. Your people have to believe in you.
  3. Values drive commitment. What do you stand for? Your people want to know if your values align with theirs.
  4. Focusing on the future sets leaders apart. You have a vision. Your long-term perspective sets you apart. You imagine and talk about exciting possibilities for your team and the individuals in it.
  5. You can’t do it alone. Obvious, right? Great leaders are obsessed with what is best for others, not what is best for themselves.
  6. Trust rules. You give trust before you get trust. Trust is your social glue that holds the team together. Influence is dependent on the level of trust your people have in you. You have to earn their trust.
  7. Challenge is the crucible for greatness. Great leaders step up to the challenge. Nothing stays the same, and your leadership grows with the challenges you face.
  8. You either lead by example, or you don’t lead at all. Leaders make promises and keep them. They become role models for the values they hold. You can’t ask others to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.
  9. The best leaders are the best learners. You have to believe that you can become a better leader tomorrow than you are today. Your willingness to strive for “better” lets you lead the way.
  10. Leadership is an affair of the heart. You love your mission, your team, and every person on it. Love motivates the lest leaders and energizes them. If you don’t love it, you won’t work at it any more than you have to.

So leaders: start with yourself and everything else will follow.

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