In 1980, Gary & I and our friend Earnie Larsen put together 5 booklets entitled, "Blueprints for Growth" - Leadership, Goals, Prospecting, Recruiting, & Training. We were reminded of them recently by a team of 2 young women who ran across them and have started to use them with their group - they have been loving the info. So, while some of the material may be dated, even so, we believe the information is still useful for those of you who are looking to move your business forward. Faye & Gary
PURSUIT OF PERSONAL EXCELLENCE
.....Gary Burke & Earnest Larsen
II. WHY LEADERSHIP IN SHAKLEE
Why is leadership so necessary in Shaklee?
The reason is because the only way you get to the top is to take may people with you. Your organization cannot be successful unless your people's organizations are also growing. The best way for you to be a Coordinator is to make sure 2 of your people also become Coordinators. Your success is guaranteed in their success!
But you see, the very nature of taking people to the top with you is the essence of leadership. It is not you dragging them along with you but you motivating, inspiring, giving the encouragement and confidence necessary for them to think THEY can do it. Leadership in Shaklee is not just to sit back and be amaze at what YOU can do. The key to leadership is not so much that the leader looks good but that those around the leader look good. What happens when a true leader passes by is not that others say, "Wow, isn't he/she something!", but that they say, "Wow, I'm something!" Leadership is the quality whereby others feel better about themselves by having been in contact with you. The focus is not on you, but them.
Why is this crucial to your Shaklee business?
People you sponsor love the benefits of building a large business, but many doubt they can. They perhaps KNOW you can succeed, but many doubt they can have the same success.
Perhaps they can very well see themselves getting the benefits, but are the kind of people easily discouraged or lacking the ability to work for long range goals if the short range effort proves difficult.
For any of dozens of reasons, people who could be marvelous in Shaklee aren't. Some start but quickly settle into no movement at all...some never start at all.
Now let us be quick to point out SHAKLEE IS NOT SOCIAL WORK! We are not in business to change people. Trying to be a social worker along with building a successful business is one of the quickest ways to stunt your growth.
What we are saying, is a leader's presence often gets people unstuck and rolling again. It is the word of encouragement at the right time that may make all the difference. It may well be just seeing you in a positive frame of mind going about your business, solving the problems and moving on, celebrating the successes ad benefits that will make all the difference to someone sitting on the fence. Most of the blessings bestowed by a leader are never directly known to them. It is just WHO they are. HOW they are, that makes the difference.
You may be the first person who ever believed they could be successful. Borrowing your belief in them, feeding on it if you will, they begin to believe they can do it too. And they do. That's what leaders do...make it possible for others to do more than they ever thought they could.
Why is leadership important in the Shaklee business? Why was Socrates important for ancient Athens? Why was Napoleon important for France or George Washington important for Colonial America? These men were leaders and leaders make things happen. They are the hub of activity. And the more intelligent, inspired and channeled that activity, the more productive it is. Intelligent, inspired, channeled activity producing maximum results is the definition of a successful business. But this only happens around a leader. You are the hub of your organization.
...stay tuned for next installment from LEADERSHIP, "Characteristics of a Leader", next week
