Before we get into the podcast I want to be sure you know we’ll be
taking the next two Saturday’s off in observance of Labor Day and
convention going, which means NO WORKSHOPS, don’t worry, you’ll still
get your podcast fix. Our next workshop, the Sales Conversation workshop,
is $27, and will be Saturday, September 16th from 8a–10a Pacific time.
This is our signature workshop where we’ll be covering some simple
strategies and tips to help kickstart your business so you can start making
more sales and earning more money. We know you’re going to have plenty
of team members fired up post convention so be sure to have them register
for this workshop at emergesalestraining.com/salesconversation. Now let’s
get into the podcast.
Have a little faith
Recently, our coaching team has had conversations around what our roles
are as coaches and as leaders and so this weekend I thought I would share
some golden nuggets I’ve picked up from other prominent figures in the
leadership world. As leaders, we often lose sight of what our true role and
purpose is because we’re so caught up in our own status and what people
might think of us or we’re overly concerned with our goals and our
rank/income or we’re just too busy and distracted and we’ve entirely
forgotten what our real role is, or maybe there are some of you who still
don’t know or never knew. So let me tell you…. The real job or role of being
a leader is not to be the one in charge, instead, it’s to care and tend to the
ones that are in our charge. So where or when do we get off track?
Leadership is a skill just like any other- you have to learn, practice, and
over time you get better. Just like a muscle, workout often and you will
become a stronger. Never workout or stop working out and you will be or
become weaker. I like to think of leadership kind of like parenting, we all
have the capacity to be a parent, but that doesn’t mean everyone wants to
be a parent or should be a parent. The same is with leadership, everyone
has the capacity to be a leader, but that doesn’t mean that everyone wants
to be a leader or should be a leader. So what happens when you find
yourself in a leadership role? The important thing to remember is that at the
end of the day great leaders are not responsible for the job itself, they are
responsible for the people who are responsible for the job.
I recently listened to another podcast, yes, shockingly I do listen to other
podcasts, don’t tell Tasha. But it struck a chord with me and has been
resonating ever since and I hope sharing it with you will help you draw
some perspective on how to be a better leader and better understand your
role.
So I want to start off with a question…. what sort of message are your
actions OR inaction sending to your team? Karen touched on this a few
weeks back, but I wanted to revisit it through a different lens and I want to
ask you another question. What type of leader are you? Are you a leader
that is leading from relief or are you a leader that is leading from belief?
So Let’s take a minute to break down these two strategies….
Relief is defined as:
alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress,
oppression, anxiety, etc
Release from a post of duty through the arrival of a substitute or
replacement.
Earlier I talked about leadership being like parenthood so I wanted to
expand on that analogy and scenarios of relief. As a Mom I often find
myself in challenging situations with my kids, I’m exhausted, my patience is
wearing thin or non-existent and I just don’t have the time or energy to deal
with what’s going on so I quickly turn to relief, and it’s not spelled
R-O-L-A-I-D-S. Relief means, to just clean up the mess myself, give them
the answer so they stop asking or do the thing that’s hard for them
because I think I am too busy when in reality I just don’t have the patience
to wait for them to do it themselves. Relief for me feels good and is always
the more attractive option because as relief is defined, it will alleviate my
stress and release me from my current responsibilities. Sadly, this quick fix,
isn’t a long term solution and tomorrow I’ll find myself in the same
predicament.
As leaders, I’m sure you can relate and often find yourself in situations
where you default to relief. You look for a breather, something to plug the
hole, and fix the issue quickly. We choose the easy route because it makes
our lives easier, at least for a brief period of time, but when we constantly
act from a place of relief this doesn’t provide our team the opportunity to
learn, grow, and improve, and ultimately who is this strategy all about, us or
them?
The only way for us to move past this is to take a different approach, and
this is where belief steps in.
Belief is defined as…
to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something,
although without absolute proof
It means confidence; faith; trust:
When I read this I am convicted, not only as a mom but also a leader. In
either role, I want to act from a place of belief. And Remembering my role,
that I am responsible for those that are in my charge, I want them to know
that I have confidence, faith, and trust in them even if they haven’t yet done
it or done it successfully. I mean, isn’t that what faith is… a belief that is not
based on proof.
Belief is the right plan and the right path. Even though it may require more
time, more energy, more work, and more patience now, when we lead from
a place of belief the results, rewards, and fruits of our labor will come to
sustain us, our business, and those who were entrusted in our charge and
care because belief pulls out the best in them BECAUSE WE believed the
best about them.
It also brings out the best in us because when we act from belief we are
attentive, supportive, encouraging and caring because we believe in them.
When we act from belief it means we won’t settle for less than their true
and full potential and capabilities. Belief is what every one of our team
members needs, but how do we make this real? How does this impact what
we DO versus what we may be doing now?
Belief means practice, practice with them.
Don’t just give them outlines, write them out together and practice with
them. Don’t just tell them what they need to do, break down the what and
how of what they need to do with them. Don’t just teach a class for them.
Take the time to run through it with them, because when we practice with
our people we’re communicating that we believe in them, that they are
capable, that they can, and that they will. When our team members don’t
have enough confidence, faith, trust, or belief in themselves, have belief for
them!
I know some of you might be apprehensive here, but I want to remind you
about where you came from. Most of you have completed Direct Sales
Foundation and some of you have completed Your Leadership Foundation
or perhaps you’re in the middle of your course right now, whichever it might
be. My point here is this…. Did an emerge coach make the phone calls for
you to book those first appointments when you learned the usual
approach? NO. Did an emerge coach teach your first class with your new
outline? NO. Did an emerge coach get on a three-way call and help you run
your first OMG conversation or coaching call? NO. Instead, what did we
do? We practiced with you, we believed in you, and you did.
Have a great Saturday and know that team emerge believes in you.