How to be a Rock Solid Leader: Stepping Up
If you sincerely want to be a business owner or have a downline team in a multilevel marketing opportunity, then you must seriously consider how you first will be stepping up to a leadership role.
This is true whether you’ve had previous leadership positions or not. If you think you are good enough, then you have conquered one of the major mindset milestones.
If you think you are not, then you are not. You will have to change this thought pattern, and start mentally preparing to start stepping up, and find a way to eliminate the controlling thoughts of inadequacy.
In the lead article of the series, I touched on the environment. Simply stated, you saw how you are not born to be a leader, and that your environment is what makes it so.
At some point in your decision to be in business for yourself, you will have to change your environment so you have something enabling you to step up where you may not believe you are able.
The Transition
Knowing when to step up isn’t always obvious. I remember, even as a young Navy aviator in training, I feared being pushed to the front.
My first major challenge where I had to make a life-changing choice for myself was in flight school in Pensacola, Florida at the Naval Air Station Pensacola. I got a “down” on one of my flights in the T2 Buckeye aircraft.
A “down” is a failure. I was ordered to a review board. This was not something a young ensign in flight school ever wanted. It scared the life out of me.
I remember well standing in front of the Instructor conducting the board. My chest felt so tight. My knees and hands were shaking. I was sweating. I was scared to death because this determined if I would ever fly or become a dreaded washout. I
had been asked a number of questions which I have no recollection of, or even know if I got the answers right or wrong. The one question I do remember was when the review board officer said, “Ensign, are you willing to bet whether you stay or wash out on answering the next question correctly?”
So here it was. I know most going to a review board washed out. I am certain most were asked to make such a decision. To literally step up to the role of accepting full responsibility for whatever happened to themselves.
I am betting, most did not accept the challenge, because most washed out. I was being asked to step up to a real leadership role. I thought for a second and then said yes.
The review officer asked me if I were sure. I said yes, and then he asked me a question. I was asked to say the steps of an emergency procedure. I have no idea if I got the answer correct, though I was certain at the time I got it totally wrong because I was so nervous.
Though I am sure the review board officer desired a correct answer, he was actually much more interested in seeing if I was willing to step up to real leadership. And I did. I risked everything on that one answer (which he never told me if I got it correct or not).
There were other milestones in my Navy career, of course, but this was where I first had to make a major decision to step up to leadership.
What Will it be Like for You?
Your move in your life to be an entrepreneur and live what you believe is your destiny totally requires you to step up to a leadership role where you accept full responsibility for your outcomes.
Blaming your setbacks and poor choices on scams and whatever else you can think of to blame things on will prevent you from ever being the leader, and from ever having a business.
You must be mentally prepared. Leadership is a mental state. When you accept total responsibility, it is very nerve-racking. Trying to do it without any guidance is a fool’s game.
Even though I have been in “leadership” for 35 years, I still always have a way of getting mentorship. It is a must to maintain your willingness to lead or to make the move to step up to the next leadership position.
My best advice to you is get a mentor, and never ever stop working your personal self-development. I highly recommend you use my mentors, Jim Britt, and Jim Lukes. They will provide you daily guidance, advice, and inspiration in the Quanta Programs. They are worth every moment of your time, and every dollar you spend, 100 times over.
International speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Retired navy officer, former commanding officer. Over 35 years of leading, coaching, mentoring, and speaking.
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