Who's Got Your Back? Joint Ventures

Entrepreneurs understand how important it is to surround oneself with strong, dependable, loyal and able people. It’s been said that, in the heat of battle, the soldiers who stand by you are not the college kids and the pretty boys, but rather the ex cons, thugs, drifters and pimps. When the bullets are flying, somehow a PhD or MBA doesn’t make much of a difference.

If you were about to trek across the ice to the North Pole, whom would you choose to be on your team? Whom would you trust with your life? Would you choose someone from Greenpeace or someone from the Marines? A “peacekeeper” or a warrior? I want the toughest character can find on my side, not some politically correct wimp who’s scared of hurting a tree or upsetting an owl’s nest. I want people who are serious about success, hungry, fearless, determined and very, very disciplined. How about you?

The team you build will mirror, or at least strongly aspire to, your level of integrity, motivation, professionalism and drive. Your “Inner Circle” should be very carefully selected, vetted and constantly trained and tested. And when you see cracks in their veneer, you should remove them from your orbit – fast. Sincerity, grit and focus should be a requirement, not an optional extra. Your team members will either carry you or drop you. They will either be the wind beneath your wings or the quicksand under your feet. And it all depends on your leadership ability.

Have you ever heard of a “Cult Manager”? Probably not – it’s Cult Leader. And the best people will follow the best leaders. So, instead of bewailing your fate and complaining about the losers in your team, go to the bathroom and take a good, hard look in the mirror. You are a magnet. You either attract Eagles or ducks. If you behave like a loser, that’s exactly what you’ll attract. If you accept mediocrity and compromise, that’s the team you’ll soon be scraping off your shoe. But if you set a high standard and strive for a magnificent vision, you’ll find strong people joining you, and the sky’s the limit. Together, we can do amazing things.

Sales Tip
Just as a leader must carefully choose his team, so must a salesperson carefully select his clients. Surround yourself with excellent people at all times. Don’t suffer fools lightly. Good people will lead you to more good people. Invest in your clients and the ROI is great.

Management Tip
A few good salespeople with serious commitment and very specific goals is far better than a big bunch of wanna be’s and has-beens. Spend your time carefully. Invest in good stock. If you’re a lifelong learner, so will your team be. Set the pace, set the standard, set the example. Be selective and demand excellence.

“Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future.” ~ Edwin H. Friedman

Contact us: Robin J. Elliott E Mail: robin@dollarmakers.com Call Toll Free in North America, Hawaii, Alaska PST: 1.866.746.0631 International Phone + 604.945.5754

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