If there was one thing that made being a QNET direct selling entrepreneur more valuable to me than the financial freedom and independence that it assured me, it was the skills and personal growth that I made along the way. My time as a part of one of the top direct selling companies in Asia has taught me many things. And being a better leader is one that I find has improved my life for the better. Here are some leadership skills that I learned as a QNET direct selling entrepreneur.
You do not know everything there is to be a leader
While there are a few born leaders, most of us have a long way to go before we can call ourselves good leaders. Being a leader is about adapting to the situation and learning continuously. For instance, when I started, I was always quick to give answers and solutions to the problems that my sales team’s to find. I did not do this because I felt that they needed my help, but because I felt that they would think less of me if didn’t. It took me some time to realise that not knowing the answer did not make me less competent or a bad leader but gave me a chance to grow and learn. It also gave my sales team a chance to learn, grow, and connect.
Invest in your team’s potential and not their choice
As a leader of a sales team whose success dictates the profits of my direct selling network marketing company, it hurts me when the members of my sales team choose not to perform to their full potential. It is my duty to invest time, effort and energy in helping my sales team to achieve this potential, but what they do with the resources and lessons that you give them is their choice and does not reflect on my leadership skills.
Balancing professional and personal relationships with your team
Making lasting relationships and fostering a network of people is one of the best things about being in the direct selling network marketing industry. And for a people-pleaser like me, it can be hard to balance your professional and personal relationship with your team members.
While having a close relationship with your team members is a good thing as a leader, it can also lead others in the team to feel jealous or that you are showing favouritism to a certain person. If you are faced with some issue or frustration, it is always better to confide in an outside friend or another direct selling leader instead of members of your sales team. You can still build real and genuine friendships with your team members, but it is important to remember that there should be professional boundaries to them.
Never stop contributing
While it can seem like a reasonable thing to just sit back and manage your sales team after you have achieved moderate success, a true leader never stops contributing. You will be spending a significant amount of time training and helping your team succeed, but that does not mean that your personal sales should suffer. You should learn to balance the two aspects of your role.
Missing your goals is not failure; losing focus is!
This was the hardest and most difficult lesson for me to learn. In this business, it is easy to miss the goals you have set for yourself and feel that you have failed as a leader. But the truth is that real failure is when you lose focus and determination. And the thing is, when a leader loses his or her focus, the entire team comes falling down!
These are lessons that I learned after years in the direct selling network marketing industry, training and helping countless people achieve success. While I wish I had learned these lessons when I began my journey, being a leader is all about learning new lessons and helping others! Learning these leadership skills is a very important part of finding success as a QNET direct seller.
