I met with the author Aaron D Wiegert and we talked about the function and role of Leadership. Here is a small summary of our conversation.
In working from home careers, such as home-based internet businesses that involve a network or team, you will be the Leader for the people you attract into the business opportunity.
Looking at the Leadership principles in How to Win Friends and Influence People, you’ll notice it is emphasized that we need to positively acknowledge this Leadership role. Why does Dale Carnegie devote a whole section to Leadership?
The answer is simple, people are attracted to Leaders. The book is about how to win over people hence the more you behave like a Leader the more people will be attracted to your opportunity.
One of the things I have seen unsuccessful Leaders do is the, ‘leave alone zap’ way of Leading. This method involves ignoring people if they are doing things right day in and day out, but boy do they ‘zap’ you if you get it wrong once.
This is a bad way to earn money because your team begins to distrust you. I believe it’s the prevalence of poor Leadership in that past that has lead to so many people leaving home business opportunities in the past.
There is another much more productive, and I mean in terms of earning more money, way. If you agree with someone there is an area where they can improve it is crucial that you follow up on that. Be very specific about what the problem is and then when they improve tell them. They will do anything for you if you do this in a consistent manner.
I admit when I started my recent series of videos I said ‘erm’ too much. My business associate noticed it and mentioned it; that was all I needed. I then Googled other people with the same problem and read their tips on how to stop.
I know I do it less now because I have counted the number of times. However, before that my business associate noticed and publicly mentioned it. I felt great and I am still working those ‘erms’ down. These are the writing and reading structures facts of life. This is the way to turn people into successes.
In his classic work How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie explains one of his principles that giving orders is a poor way to get people to do something.
In management theory, the issuing of orders to get people to do something is called the ‘command and control’ method. As you can guess, it has its roots in military organizations. However, interestingly, even they are moving away from its pure form. People who have a home-based Internet business and want people to join them may adopt this way of managing their network because it’s the easiest and quickest way for them to lead.
Research has shown that as we live in a democracy, people expect more say over their working lives. Indeed the attraction of working for yourself is that you have fired the boss. If they then have someone issue orders or directions they may actually feel like leaving you rather soon.
So what is the alternative, especially if you really want to get your message home? Well, although it takes longer, asking questions and getting input to questions you layout will actually get you more trust as a Leader. A trusted Leader gets more commitment and more loyalty. This is truly a better way to earn more money. It’s not only about capturing and keeping the online consumer, but also about empowering and keeping your coworkers.
So if you want to create set methods you wish your team to operate by, put out proposals and ask for input. Make it clear as a Leader that you retain the right to ignore some suggestions as it’s your business that is on the line. To generate even more trust, make sure you give feedback to people if you want to ignore their advice and explain your decisions.
Operating as a Leader is a key skill in top tier direct sales positions. Therefore, develop these skills as part of your personal development. You will benefit!