| What makes a leader?
 This
month, are you asking yourself: “Who’s
the better leader for our country, Mitt Romney or
Barack Obama?“ In the final stretches of
the race for President, that question is on everyone’s
mind!
I’m fascinated by leadership. In
the 1990’s, I constantly tried to define it
during my government contracting work. During that
time, the military was transitioning out of an old-fashioned
view of leadership: I tell you what to do,
and into a style that could incorporate information
and perspectives from different people or sources.
At that time, I wasn’t sure what OTHER style
of leadership existed! How could you detect
other forms of leadership, if they didn’t come
with a big office, impressive title, and opportunity
to boss people around?
Now, I know that leadership comes from within.
It’s not something you do TO other
people. It’s the way you live – the way
you think, speak and act. When your energy and abilities
combine with someone who’s on the same path,
amazing things can happen!
These days, leadership is often defined as
influence – getting things done through other
people. Note that does NOT require a specific
position, title, or type of office to accomplish.
That also implies that you can exhibit leadership
almost anywhere in your life: your work, your family,
your church, your social groups, etc.
Are you in a field where your leadership
does NOT come with title and a big office? As
a direct seller, you don’t have any official
leadership authority over your direct selling team
members. As a solopreneur, your team is probably made
up of other solopreneurs doing contract work for you,
so you don’t have much authority (beyond the
paycheck) over them.
When you don’t have authority to tell
people what to do, and when they are under no compulsion
to accept what you tell them, then you are in a great
situation to exhibit a higher form of leadership than
directing people!
Here’s one theory on leadership that
can help you understand the types of leadership you’ll
need to succeed. It’s from the work
of James Scouller, author of The 3 Levels of Leadership.
He posits that there are 3 levels of leadership and
dozens of supporting behaviors that create each level:
- Public. The behaviors that help
you influence people in a one-to-many situation.
- Private. Another set of behaviors
you use when working one-to-one with someone.
- Personal. “Working
on one’s personal leadership has three aspects:
(1) Technical know-how and skill (2) Developing
the right attitude toward other people – which
is the basis of servant leadership (3) Psychological
self-mastery – the foundation for authentic
leadership.
Scouller argued that self-mastery is the key to
growing one’s leadership presence, building
trusting relationships with followers and dissolving
one’s limiting beliefs and habits, thereby
enabling behavioral flexibility as circumstances
change, while staying connected to one’s core
values (that is, while remaining authentic).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership
accessed 10/15/2012.
Scouller argues that personal growth is
what creates growth on all 3 levels: public, private,
and personal.
“Becoming a leader
is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely
that simple, and it's also that difficult...First
and foremost, find out what it is you're about,
and be that.”
Warren Bennis
Looking at myself, my clients, and other
highly successful entrepreneurs who are earning high
6 and 7-figures, the ONLY way personal growth overcomes
limiting beliefs is when you work with someone else
who provides an outside perspective and skills. The
entrepreneurs I know have worked with coaches and/or
mentors AND done energy work AND gone through some
form of therapy.
I’m confident there is someone out there who
has succeeded with 1 or 2 of these 3 ingredients.
I cannot come up with a single example of
someone who succeeded with ZERO of these 3 ingredients.
Call to Action
Will becoming a better leader help you in
your business?
If so, how will you create the personal
mastery that allows you to become a better leader?
What resources will you need? What programs or people
do you want to connect with?
I know how easy it is for entrepreneurs and
direct sellers to become isolated and start thinking:
“I don’t have the money to hire anyone
to help me. I don’t fit in with other people
in my community.” Next thing you
know, you force yourself to do ALL the tasks in your
business – some of which you hate. Then you’re
not productive and you don’t enjoy what you’re
doing. Plus you feel totally alone. That does not
build your personal mastery and it doesn’t build
your business!
Another common issue: “I don’t
have money for that; I’m going to rely on free
stuff.” You cannot listen to free
teleclasses, read self-help books, watch Oprah and
suddenly turn into a self-actualized, healed, strong
leader!
You’re going to have to invest in yourself
in a bigger way!
That bigger investment will involve your time, your
energy, your money and your full emotional commitment.
When you invest and commit at a low level (you engage
only with free resources, and only when it’s
convenient to you), your result will match that level
of commitment. The longer you stay here, the longer
it’s going to take to arrive at your goal; the
more time you’ll spend right where you are now.
Is that a good place?
When you commit at a bigger level, when you
pay money, show up regularly, and do things that are
uncomfortable, you’re going to receive the corresponding
bigger level of result!
“If you're interested,
you'll do what's convenient. If you're committed,
you'll do whatever it takes.”
John Assaraf
If you’re committed to doing whatever it takes,
and you’d like to receive personalized support
from an expert on leadership and coaching, I invite
you to email me at success@marcystahl.com
and we’ll set up a private call to discuss your
goals and how to best to get there. I’m not
attached to the outcome – this call is designed
to help YOU identify what you want and how to get
there.
Testimonial
 "When
I started working with Marcy, I had a myriad
of limiting beliefs, lack of confidence and
fears of presentations in sales. Through our
work together, I have shed all those negatives
and have more clarity and confidence in my
professional life. Marcy is a great listener
and provides wonderful suggestions that make
sense. I owe much of my success in my most
transformational year to the direction, support
and encouragement that Marcy provided me!"
~ Nancy T. Ferrari, Radio Show and
Media Personality
www.nancyferrari.com, Orange
County, CA |
© 2012 Marcy Stahl
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Marcy Stahl motivates women entrepreneurs to
move from having only a trickle of clients to an abundant
full flow of more clients, more money, and more decision-making
power. If you're ready to empower yourself AND boost
your business, if you want to share YOUR passion with
more people, schedule your free 45-minute Marcy Stahl
Success Solutions Session by clicking here: http://www.marcystahl.com/contact-marcy.html
|
Autumn
is in the air and the end of the year is fast approaching!
10/25/2012.
The 15 Invaluable Laws of
Growth Mastermind group begins! For 7 weeks,
you’ll travel through John Maxwell’s latest
book. You’ll receive extra exercises and insights
created just for this group! My goal is to help you
go BEYOND reading, to where you APPLY this material
to your life and your business. Because when you
change, your business changes! Learn more at 
Starting
October 26th, Jennifer Zwiebel will be hosting “Out
from Under”, a weeklong Virtual Event designed
to give you the tools, strategies and inspiration
to get out from under the overwhelm and create the
life you want! 
