Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplashby Toni Vanshoyck
Wondering what life looks like for leaders? There are many characteristics good leaders share; but in my book, three overarching leadership attributes are commitment, conviction, and passion.
While some people are natural born leaders, other leaders are built. For the latter, a leader is developed over time—mostly through trial by fire. That doesn’t mean becoming a leader and being a good one is easy. It’s not. But…it is effing simple.
Sometimes leadership is seen as “bossy”—particularly when young children begin to take charge of their lives and lead the way. It’s no surprise I was one of those children. As our society evolves, people are noting these “bossy” qualities (especially for girls) as assertive leadership.
Here’s how the three overarching leadership attributes are demonstrated.
Leaders are Committed:
Leaders are visionaries that want to make a lifelong impact. They see the big picture and have an even bigger vision to fulfill it. Most of all, they believe in the vision so much, they refuse to play small or dabble in mediocre. Most importantly, they are committed to greatness.
Brendon Burchard notes, “Greatness belongs to those who have mastered the ability to focus relentlessly on their ambitions and act decisively toward them.”
Leadership is having personal accountability and demonstrating authentic behavior to support it. Leadership skills are ingrained and developed and expanded through continuous use.
Leadership is not a position, it’s a lifestyle. Leaders show up no matter what; through the good, the great, the bad and the ugly. Leaders don’t make excuses. Instead, they take accountability and make necessary adjustments. Leaders work with vigor and passion. All the while, putting their heart, soul, and guts into their beliefs.
Leaders also push through the negativity and shit. They simply do not buy into anything less than their vision. At the same time, leaders are optimistic realists. They know things get tough, but they expect the best possible outcome—every time. This doesn’t mean everything goes smoothly. Leaders are not immune. They have huge opportunities and challenges to work through. Regardless of the industry, every business encounters peaks and valleys. Leaders roll with them. Sometimes, leaders must be a ducky—shake those tail feathers and move on.
Leaders know their value comes from within. To support this, they take time off; putting family, faith, and fitness first. When a leader’s personal health and house is in order, it’s much easier for success to follow.
Leaders Leverage Conviction:
John Maxwell said it the best, “Leaders equip people.” What does this mean? It means leaders provide their team and mentees with a toolkit for success. In my business, those tools begin with network marketing onboarding and consistent help identifying and completing Income Producing Activities (IPAs).
In order to grow a large and successful network marketing team, there are three primary rules for leaders:
- Create systems and processes the team can duplicate
- Keep everything simple
- Lead by example by walking the talk and “doing the do”
As teams grow, it means identifying and supporting emerging leaders. Keep in mind, support doesn’t equal doing a team member’s job. It’s standing alongside them when they show up ready to work and achieve the level of success they desire. Through everything, leaders listen. Every person was born with two ears and one mouthpiece for a reason.
Leaders are readers and continuous learners. Not only do they uphold these standards for themselves, but they also leverage the same standards for their team through their personal example. Simultaneously, they are deeply connected to their teams; ensuring their continued growth, personal health, and general welfare.
Leaders Possess and Instill Passion:
Leaders motivate others (directly and indirectly). They take the time to learn about their industry, their people, and the challenges and opportunities present within. They are prepared for anything that can arise while focusing on the situation at hand. While the situations that crop up are often problems; leaders are solution driven. Even in the toughest of situations, leaders maintain poise and grace. They aren’t disturbed by challenges—in fact, they are often inspired to solve problems others note as “unsolvable.”
When they do encounter problems or experience failure (as they inevitably will), leaders offer creative solutions, admit mistakes, apologize quickly, tweak process where necessary, learn from the situation, and move on.
Rather than managing from a deficit (like pushing their sales team at the end of the month to achieve their goals), they set the goals at the beginning of the month and consistently report and motivate the team from the get go.
Leaders rarely get stuck. If they do, it is short lived. Leaders are here to take massive action toward their goals. They also know they don’t expand to the greatest heights of success alone.
To that end, leaders create other leaders. People gravitate to leaders because they have and/or create an incredible energy flow that others want to be around. This energy acts like a strong magnet to attract other people of the same positive mindset. To ensure their energy remains magnetic and moves them forward, leaders distance themselves from people and things that don’t serve them or brings them down.
In summary, through commitment, conviction, and passion, leaders push themselves and countless others to create their own vision, expand it, and go after it with all their heart.
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Toni Vanshoyck is a network marketing professional who motivates and inspires nearly a quarter of a million network marketers on their way to generate one billion dollars in annual sales. Visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
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