MOST EXECUTIVES have three or more direct reports and at least one personal/executive assistant as well as a number of board members and strategic partners. And we could all benefit from maximizing our time and becoming more effective. Communication is a giant key to it all—in fact, communication and delegation with those who work closest with you is an executive High-Leverage Activity (HLA).

Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve researched, constructed and published 27 books on communication and presentation effectiveness. My most popular title is Life Is a Series of Presentations, which is endorsed by Shark Tank. The title itself says it all.

Using this concept as a core, my team and I have developed a powerful methodology called Presentation Mastery. Inside our methodology is a special tool called the Presentation Universe—a matrix in which you list all the presentation opportunities in your daily life, both personal and professional. For your convenience, there is a partially filled-in sample Presentation Universe matrix to help you quickly think through your daily world of presentations on pages 62-63.

Time is valuable to you, as it is to any busy executive. That’s why I preach/teach about time management every chance I get. When I’m speaking to a group and ask how many hours are in a week, only one in 20 knows the answer. There are 168 hours in a week. We have to sleep 56, and we take around 12 for maintenance—so that leaves basically 100 hours (50 for personal and 50 for professional). How we invest those hours will determine the life we build for ourselves.

Becoming a More Effective Leader

I believe communication (and often delegation) to direct reports can easily be divided into seven major buckets. Glance at the matrix and expand your thinking as you look at the recommended actions in the far-right column. Carefully read the rest of this article to glean even more details to see how you may make better use your time and impact results by upping your communication game.

The matrix includes a place for you to rate yourself on each of the presentation opportunities. To make you aware of how well you are doing currently in each of these communication vehicles, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, on your preparation (P); your delivery (D); and your follow-up (F).

For example, how well do you prepare for the huddles with your team? You would put that number under the P on number one. Let’s say you prepare better than most, so you would put a nine there. If you’re pretty effective in your delivery, you might put an eight under the D. If you’re weak on follow-up, let’s say you rate yourself a three under the F. When you average these out, your overall rating would be a 6.7.

Notice that in the last column of the matrix I’ve suggested three best practices for each communication vehicle, which gives you 21 ideas you can use as an executive to be more effective in your communication and delegation.

Now let’s take a little deeper look at those seven buckets:

1 / Huddles with your direct reports

A huddle is a short gathering—in most cases less than fifteen minutes—with one or more of your direct reports. Huddles can be daily, weekly or even ad hoc. They can be one-on-one or in a group, and they can be in person, on the web or a combination. Becoming exceptional at executing these 15-minute power meetings gives both you and your team a big win. They not only keep everyone on the same page as far as what tasks are delegated to whom and the status of your projects; they also provide great opportunities for brainstorming and synergizing.

2 / Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are usually held with one or more of your direct reports. In most cases, they are held on a weekly basis, but they could be ad hoc. There’s generally a protocol for creating the agenda so you can be efficient at holding the meeting. You or a team member will need to define your objectives before you prepare the agenda. And remember: your objectives trump the agenda.

3 / All-Hands-on Meetings

You hold an all-hands-on meeting when you and often your direct reports are communicating to your entire organization (as in a state-of-the-union scenario). These meetings are often scheduled annually. I recommend holding them quarterly. In these presentation opportunities, your direct reports can be in the audience or part of the delivery. You’ll probably want to cover things like where the organization stands currently so people feel connected; where you’re going (it’s always better to promote the clarity of your vision); and what is new or what’s coming down the pike. Inspire your team. Excite them. Share a cool, relatable video. You could also list things you’re asking everyone in the organization to do to improve so you can all win more.

4 / Video Messaging

You would use video messaging when you want to record a message that could be anywhere from a couple of minutes to ten minutes long to touch base with your direct reports and/or your assistants. These can be transmitted in the form of Marco Polo-type apps, selfie videos or in some cases a more formally recorded message. Video messaging is often a blind spot for executives. Direct reports love to be in the know. It’s a great tool for when people aren’t in the same time zone or can’t be in the same staff or all-hands-on meeting simultaneously. I will occasionally have one direct report record me as I’m sharing with him/her and then send it to the others. Both time efficiency and clarity are what we’re after.

5 / One-on-Ones

These are opportunities for you to communicate directly and more effectively with your assistants and direct reports. In a one-on-one meeting, you sit down with the person directly or over the phone or even via Zoom, on an as-needed basis and go over what’s been accomplished; what needs to be accomplished; what the roadblocks are; and what actions need to be taken. As you’re working together from the same side of the line of scrimmage, you can use a whiteboard when feasible to draw out your plan of action. Then you can take a picture of the board with your phone and text it to anyone else who can benefit from the information, providing a level of clarity almost as if they had attended the meeting.

6 / Strategy Meetings

A strategy meeting could (and probably should) be held with your direct reports at least once a month, so you can manage the effectiveness of your results (KPIs). Some executives have their strategy meetings quarterly or even offsite annually. With the rapid pace of changes taking place in our world, I recommend you schedule these meetings more often. Having a powerful facilitator can often make a giant difference in outcomes, especially when combined with live on-screen note-taking.

7 / Board-Related Meetings

This could be the actual board meeting itself, or it could be preparation for or even a run-through of the board meeting. The purpose is to make sure everyone is on the same page and communicating effectively. Be sure to compliment those who are efficiently carrying out the tasks you’ve delegated, so they and others will want to do more of it. A blind spot I see executives make here is not setting up their people and allowing them to shine. When they win, you win more.

I hope this article has provided you a thought-provoking perspective on how to be more effective with your time and delegation, specifically with your direct reports and including your executive or personal assistants.

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy— is a renowned strategist, executive coach and keynote speaker who changes people’s thinking. He and his team uniquely facilitate planning sessions in his one-of-a-kind RESULTS Center to help direct selling executives learn, grow, evolve and thrive.

From the July 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Communicating to Your Team So Everyone Wins More first appeared on Direct Selling News.

So, with no bullets or numbers in sight, here are a few suggestions to up your leadership game:

Remember your Power as Leaders

Genuine connection starts at the top. Community within your organization doesn’t live in the company Facebook group or Slack Channels. True community starts in YOUR office—building trust, fellowship and openness with the entire team. We know the importance of recognition to motivate our field leaders, but often don’t employ those same practices in our home offices. Creating a loyal community starts with listening for opportunities to recognize and celebrate contributions at every level. Seek out opportunities to highlight a job well done, no matter how significant or mundane.

But be sure to recognize the right things. Too many times, we recognize those who pulled the all-nighter or fixed a crazy problem while overlooking the planners, the maintainers, the doers—those who keep us ahead of schedule, on-track and help us avoid problems without us ever knowing! Becoming a world-class recognizer will model this behavior for others—you’ll be surprised how fast it multiplies and how positive an impact it can have on your team.

Our teams look to us for all the signals…all the time. Our confidence, our energy, our belief in our mission is all seen, felt and mirrored by everyone around us. Our willingness to approach our business with unflagging optimism, devoid of cynicism, regardless of what’s happening, will mark the difference in morale, retention, referrals and generally happy and high-functioning groups of people.

We don’t get the luxury of a bad day. Well, not more than once or twice a year, anyway! We have a greater obligation to always see the bigger picture and know that we have the power to really impact the quality of lots and lots of people’s lives.

I’ve found that when I can keep my eye on the horizon (metaphorically speaking given my current view of the mountains) and my hand steady on the wheel (to see how many metaphors I can butcher) that my impact as a leader increases tenfold. And a little secret? All that raw determination to remain positive has the most bizarre impact on you, too. Any guesses? Yep…you will BE more positive. And that’s a good thing, no matter what.

Strike the Right Emotional vs. Rational Balance

Guard yourself against overly emotional reactions and responses, particularly when dealing with points of difference between field organizations and the Home Office. You and your team members make short-term and long-term decisions based on what you believe to be the best course of action for your brand. When rolling out change to the field, there will certainly be both advocates and adversaries. It’s very easy to slip into a reactive mode based on a post that someone makes or hearing from the vocal one or three that may be unhappy about the change. Stay calm, stay steadfast.

This also applies internally, particularly when working through significant change. There is the point in any project, rollout, implementation or initiative (insert your word-of-the-day for change here) where everyone wants to bail. Sometimes from exhaustion and sometimes from a kernel of a good reason. As leaders, we should always be thoughtful about and open to pivoting, but sometimes you have to believe enough for everyone.

Reminding yourself that, as a leader, you often have  a unique point of view on a project—your vantage point allows you to see things that your team can’t always see. Or perhaps you have a clearer sense of how this thing fits into your overall vision. When dissention creeps in (minor or major) it’s always good to: (apologies for breaking the numbered list thing, but these are more like instructions, so I hope you’ll forgive):

1/ Listen and understand the concern. Really listen, though. Don’t just assume you know what the concern is and formulate your response while they’re talking. I have found that if you first assume that the other person is right and you are wrong, and then listen for proof of that (instead of the other way around) more often than not you will learn something.

2/ Bounce that feedback back against your original assumptions and strategic underpinnings for the project. If true, would it change the outcome? Change your course?

3/ Apply your judgment—calmly, rationally and thoroughly. Have enough confidence to change direction if you genuinely believe it’s the right thing to do. But also have enough confidence not to, particularly in the face of opposition.

4/ Either way, as leaders, we are called on to believe enough for everyone. Cast our vision over and over and over and over again. Focus on what is possible; remind everyone what the future looks like when we reach the goal; and encourage those whose energy is flagging.

Over time, your team will see that you have a balanced approach to feedback. You listen, think, respond and act. Not always in the way they want, but always in a way that thoughtfully considers the strategy against which you all are working.

And speaking of strategy….

Stick to the Plan—Until You Shouldn’t

I know, sounds wishy-washy, but it’s not. The genesis of this encouragement (or watch out if you prefer) is in how we view strategy. Strategic planning is not a one-time event; it’s not a department; it’s not an outsourced function; it’s not something that goes in a binder on a shelf. Strategy is something we should be doing every day as part of our day-to-day activities. Integrated in our plans, meetings and prioritization sessions. Each day, every day.

However, strategy can’t be rigid either. A well-developed strategic plan leaves plenty of space for the new idea, the Ted-talk inspired program, the competitor-driven response…with a little room left over for genius. If we get too ingrained in this idea that we must adhere to the plan, regardless of results, then we run the very real (and very great) risk of missing out on a brilliant, game-changing initiative.

We have a greater obligation to always see the bigger picture and know that we have the power to really impact the quality of lots and lots of people’s lives.

So, what to do? Stick to the plan without question or implement every new shiny idea that comes down the pike? Well…neither. Put in a system that measures the value of the late-to-the-party strategic idea. Bounce it against your current strategic plan, quantify the benefits vs. the costs….and decide.

If you’re adding new things to your plan mid-cycle, great! But be sure to communicate that clearly and transparently to everyone impacted. While the first reaction to a “change in plan” is usually a little moaning and groaning, I have discovered that is quickly replaced by enthusiasm and creative ideation when the benefits and rationale are simply and clearly explained. Even if not everyone agrees, they will at least respect that there was thought to the process and will feel more in control and empowered.

It’s especially important to be aware of these now when our leadership is being tested like never before. Remote work environments mean we have to work harder than ever to lead our teams, foster and cultivate culture and create environments where our orgs can thrive. 

HEATHER CHASTAIN, Founder and CEO of Bridgehead Collective, brings an impressive understanding of sales, marketing, manufacturing and operations—all gained through 20 years of experience at Shaklee, Arbonne and BeautiControl. She is also the host of Iconic Insights, a monthly DSN podcast featuring legendary thought leaders in and around the world of direct selling.

The post Avoiding Leadership Blind Spots first appeared on Direct Selling News.

The names say it all. Walt Disney. Henry Ford. James Cash Penney. Iconic Founders and CEOs who came to personify the brands they led in the minds and hearts of their employees and the world. This phenomenon is perhaps even more prevalent in direct selling, where there is a long and storied tradition of charismatic leaders who have become synonymous with the companies they helm.

There’s no denying it. In our channel, the Founder/CEO is often a very powerful symbol—the person the field rallies around and gathers inspiration from; the keeper of the vision; the company’s driving force and undeniable figurehead. Having one person so closely associated with your brand presents both tremendous opportunities and challenges.

But what elevates a Founder/CEO to icon status? Is it unwavering vision and commitment? A charismatic persona? Passion for the products? A desire to provide stability, flexibility and opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs? A combination of all of the above?

We recently spoke with several of the channel’s most impactful CEOs—some who founded their companies and others who have taken over for visionary leaders. We asked them for their thoughts on the role of the Founder/CEO in direct selling to discover how they balance being the face of the brand while safeguarding the brand itself.

Casting a Long Shadow

When asked what trait makes a leader iconic, the word charisma is often cited. And while a lot of energy has gone into examining the charisma behind influential leaders like Reese Witherspoon, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, charisma is an elusive term—and almost impossible to quantify.

Paul Adams of the Adams Resource Group has over 30 years of experience working closely with direct selling executives and understands the power and the pitfalls of charismatic leadership.

“I love folks with charisma who can paint a vision that people want to follow,” he shared. “I’ve seen many companies grow to amazing heights through brute force and charisma. But that will only carry you so far. There comes a time where they have to run a good company with a good team and sound fundamentals.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Heather Chastain of Bridgehead Collective, a direct selling strategic consultancy. “The belief, conviction and passion of Founder/CEOs is a special kind of magic that inspires in ways that nothing else can. There’s a consistent authenticity that shows through in every aspect of the business.”

Bigger than the Brand?

Social media has undoubtedly contributed to the rise of the idea of Founder/CEO as influencer and celebrity. Consumers can now interact and get insights into the personal lives and beliefs of the CEOs they admire through Twitter and other social media channels. CEOs now have the power, means and platforms to instantly connect with their followers, turning them into passionate brand advocates and members of a larger community.

And in direct selling, it’s particularly important for the field to feel that connection with their CEO. Through conferences, incentive trips and social media posts, the field develops a relationship (real or perceived) with leadership that feels personal and full of expectations.

While the benefits of that kind of community and connection are powerful, there is also a risk of the CEO eclipsing the company in the field’s eyes.

It’s something that Jason Camper, Founder and CEO of Le-Vel, has been concerned about since Day One. “I never wanted Le-Vel to be about one person. I wanted it to be a community. You just don’t know what the future holds, so it needs to be about the mission, the culture and the impact you can have.”

The challenge is ensuring that the organization fosters and maintains a strong identity separate from that of its founder. “It’s vital that an organization have honest and open conversations about how the company positions the founder. From the very beginning, the role and voice of the founder should be something that’s used strategically,” urged Chastain. “This is critical for scalability during the initial growth phase. It’s imperative the company isn’t dominated by one person or personality.”

“Many companies have found a way to use a founder’s big persona AND build a great company at the same time,” added Adams. “If the Founder/CEO believes they are always right and doesn’t want to listen to others…that is a lonely road. Hubris is a terrible but far too common cause of corporate decline.”

Bottom line? Strong leadership trumps charisma.

Jack Fallon, Founder CEO of Total Life Changes (TLC), understands that while people relate to his underdog story of building a business against all odds and find inspiration in his persistence and perseverance, ultimately the field and customers are motivated primarily by the products.

“The products create the success stories,” he explained. “It’s not my company. I founded it, sure—but it is the energy and ability of others to promote their success stories that carry TLC. I will never become bigger than the brand. That’s not even a consideration or concern for me.”

Fa Park, Founder and CEO of Color Street noted a simple solution that works for his company. “When we keep our products, innovation and manufacturing capabilities front and center, there is no risk that I become bigger than the brand.”

While the concerns are valid and precautions are important, being the face of the company is not something that confident leaders shy away from. “We don’t really see any drawback to being the face of 4Life,” said Co-Founder Bianca Lisonbee who created the company with her husband David. “But it does place a big responsibility on us to be a good example in all that we do. And anything that can remind or motivate us to be the best version of ourselves is a good thing.”

Inspiring the Field

There is a an undeniably special relationship between the CEO and field in direct selling. It’s a relationship that across the board the channel’s most iconic CEOs nurture through transparency and respect. The field must believe and share in the founder’s vision, and by cultivating strong sense of partnership and open communication, iconic CEOs can effectively lead the field through the peaks and valleys of the business.

“Is having a heathly relationship with the field important? It’s like asking if it’s important to have a healthy relationship with your spouse,” shared Camper. “It’s super critical. It’s beyond critical. When there’s a problem and you try to sweep it under the rug—that’s when people get frustrated. I think we have a healthy balance of what we share with the field and what the field shares with us.”

Katy Holt-Larsen, Kyäni’s CEO, agreed. “We call our field business partners, because we see them as such. We are vested in each other’s success, and this requires a relationship created by listening, understanding and building together.”

For Market America Worldwide | SHOP.COM’s Founder and CEO JR Ridinger, the reciprocal nature of the relationship between field and leader cannot be underestimated. “The greatest benefit of leading Market America is having the opportunity to share such a powerful entrepreneurial business with people all around the world. Our business isn’t about figureheads and CEOs. It’s about enabling people to achieve their personal and financial goals. It’s about leading by example and succeeding so other people can realize their dreams. It’s really about their achievements—not mine.”

For Park, constantly building that belief is a primary responsibility of his role as CEO. “Our field knows that when I talk about having hopes; believing in what you have to offer; building a business one person at a time—they know it comes from my personal experience. I didn’t give up on my dream for Color Street, and I encourage them to not give up on theirs.”

Building on Powerful Legacies

But what happens to the organization when these iconic leaders are no longer a part of the company and can no longer fulfill the role of champion and cheerleader for the brand? How can their successors make the role their own without losing the founder’s vision? And how do they gain and retain the trust and confidence of the field when the person most closely associated with the mission, purpose and success of a brand is no longer there to serve as inspiration?

The challenge is certainly not unique to direct selling. Many brands have found ways to successfully leverage their leader’s legacy and incorporate it into their positioning and branding. Even though Colonel Sanders has been deceased for decades, his likeness remains the center of Kentucky Fried Chicken. And most consumers can’t think of Apple without also thinking about Steve Jobs.

This same premise is demonstrated throughout direct selling. Mary Kay, Young Living and Kyäni have endured the loss of a dynamic Founder/CEO. Each of these companies have kept the founder’s mission at the heart of the company, but moved the company forward with a vision that both honors and evolves that of the founder.

Perhaps no company in or outside the channel is more closely identified with one person as Mary Kay. The company will mark its 60th anniversary next year, and it has kept Founder Mary Kay Ash as it guiding light and touchstone since her death in 2001.

As David Holl, Mary Kay’s Chairman and CEO explained, “When Mary Kay Ash is the person associated with your brand, you want to emphasize that. Her legacy and leadership cemented her as one of the world’s most-renowned transformational leaders. Perhaps no other woman has played a more important role in the advancement of women entrepreneurs.”

It only makes sense to keep that legacy at the center of the brand and the heart of today’s leadership at the family-owned company. Her vision was to empower women to have economic opportunities, which is just as powerful and meaningful today as it was in 1963. “We have a clear line of sight knowing we are here to support the independent sales force,” said Holl. “It’s important to remember why we are here and who we are here to support. Her legacy is something we aspire to honor and challenge ourselves to look up to every day.”

Young Living faced a similar challenge with the loss of their Founder and CEO D. Gary Young in 2018. He founded the company with his wife Mary, who has taken up the helm as CEO since his death. The company was built on a foundation of helping others achieve their dreams through the freedom of health and well-being, and Gary’s personal story about the healing power of essential oils inspires more than 6 million distributors and customers across 155 countries around the globe.

But the dream for Young Living did not belong to Gary alone. Mary was first introduced to direct sales in 1985. The knowledge, experience and hands-on approach she learned all those years ago still influences her leadership style. As a female CEO running one of the largest direct selling companies in this industry, Mary’s keen, human-focused business instincts play an active role in elevating the mission of the organization worldwide.

“I strive to make decisions that keep the integrity of who we are and our mission intact as we expand forward into the next chapter of Young Living,” she shared. “Gary planted the seeds of our roots for the powerful foundation that we have today from which we spread our wings to carry our vision to new heights achieving the destiny that has always been ours; touching the hearts and souls of humanity as educators of nature’s living energy—essential oils.”

Perpetuating Gary’s vision remains the heart of Mary’s vision, and she continues to direct considerable time and energy into the D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation. In just the last five years, the foundation has impacted nearly one million lives.

When an unthinkable tragedy permanently altered the trajectory of Kyäni in the form of a plane crash in 2019 that took the lives of two of the company’s founders, the remaining leadership team immediately stepped in to provide the stability the company needed to navigate incredibly complicated waters.

After the loss of Kirk and Jim Hansen, Carl Taylor, another Founder, took the helm in the immediate aftermath with the help of a solid leadership team to help keep the company’s vision, mission, message and purpose afloat.

Current CEO Katy Holt-Larsen joined the company one year after the tragedy and found instant inspiration from those lost and those left behind. As she explained, “It was the founders’ vision and legacy that drew me to Kyäni. When you think about the word ‘founder,’ it is derived from ‘foundation.’ The Hansens and the Taylors laid a strong foundation for the company, and everything I do to help Kyäni grow is grounded in those principles.”

The experience has shaped Larsen’s approach to leadership. “When I came on, people were undoubtedly still feeling the loss of these men, but the company itself was still moving forward. It really speaks to the vision and leadership of all of our founders that Kyäni was able to not just survive a crisis like that, but continue to thrive. Two-plus years down the road we’re making significant personal and financial investments in our future, driving the business forward; working super hard; and enjoying a lot of success.”

Securing a Smooth Transition

While these stories of sudden leadership changes are dramatic, thankfully they are not the norm. And every successful direct selling company will ultimately pass the baton from the Founder/CEO to the next generation of leadership.

Many factors go in to the decision of how to ensure minimal disruption when a founder plans to retire or leave the business. Health of the business; current trajectory; and future positioning all come into play. Chastain noted that this can often be an excellent time to gently and respectively signal a new direction for the brand. “As with most things, you can’t go wrong if you are kind, respectful and clear in your communication, regardess of the degree of change.”

Adams feels the smoothness of the transition depends upon the key principles and beliefs at the heart of the company. “We believe in building companies around key principles. If we hire and train based on those principles, a company can continue to thrive, regardless of who the current leader is.”

4Life’s David and Bianca Lisonbee have always had a clear vision of how important surrounding themselves with other capable leaders is to the longevity of the business. “There’s no doubt that a founder’s role is unique in terms of cultivating a corporate culture and shaping the fundamental tenets of a brand,” David shared. “However, stewardship must engender a humility that attracts leaders in all levels of management. We enjoy the support of very talented senior-level colleagues with long-term tenures. Danny Lee, 4Life President and CEO, drives each of them to grow and elaborate upon the brand, knowing that they understand our vision.”

A Position Like No Other

The role of CEO in any organization is complicated. It involves being a good leader of course. But it also requires being a good listener. They must be truly passionate about the products, and they must be fiercely protective of the people and institution they lead.

It requires great personal charisma, unwavering vision and commitment and willingness to collaborate with their corporate office and their field. It’s not an easy job—but, according to the channel’s key players, it is ultimately a rewarding one.

“Whether it’s the products or our leadership, I never get away from people telling me how much Le-Vel changed their life,” Camper said.

So while these are positions of power and influence, the leaders are also careful to note that, at the end of the day, the company is more important than any one person—even the Founder. As Bianca Lisonbee succinctly explained, “The brand itself is bigger than any one of us because its success includes so many of us.” 

Three Key Takeaways

1 / The role of Founder/CEO as celebrity and influencer is expanding

In direct selling, social media, events and incentive trips gives the field easy access and an unprecedented personal connection to the Founder/CEO.

2 / The relationship between Founder/CEO and the field is essential

Distributors must believe in the vision and leadership of the Founder/CEO—cultivating close personal bonds with the field builds belief.

3 / Passing the baton can launch the brand in a positive new direction

While the Founder/CEO is a powerful figure and asset, new leadership can subtly shift the company in an intriguing way.

From the July 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Leading by Example first appeared on Direct Selling News.

1. How well do I manage change: As an individual? As a leader?

2. What is the secret to managing change?

The bottom line is that the most successful people manage change effectively by managing their mindset. Although you can’t control everything, you can control your mindset.

Without change, there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement. Change is inevitable.

There are four main categories to look at in the change puzzle:

1. Life Changes

The world keeps moving on. Improvement makes life better. However, sometimes life changes can throw you a curveball!

You’ve always got to manage your mindset. Be willing to ask for help. Reframe your perspective. Focus on the future and look for positives. Life is ever-changing. It’s better to accept it and positively approach the future.

2. Individual Changes

Ask yourself—How well do I personally handle change? Here are a few statistics regarding the general population’s feeling about change. Where are you on this scale?

• Negative: 30 percent are resistant to change
• Indifferent: 50 percent don’t have a strong feeling either way
• Positive: 20 percent embrace change

People have their reasons for feeling the way they do. Here are a few thoughts to consider when facing a person who is negative and resistant to change. They may be experiencing or thinking any of the following.

1. Loss of control
2. Excess uncertainty
3. Unwelcome feelings of surprise
4. Things seems different
5. Loss of face
6. Concerns about competence
7. More work
8. Ripple effects
9. Past memories
10. Resentment

Indifference can frequently be the biggest challenge to deal with because this group feels no action is required at all for a different set of reasons:

1. Based on a belief that ‘this too shall pass,’ it is just another attempt to change what will inevitably remain the same anyway.

2. Individual doesn’t believe change requires anything on their part.

3. May feel that it just does not apply to them.

Positive attitudes about change can create a whole new perspective. Embracing change can be a beautiful thing! Time has proven out that the most successful embrace change with a positive, solution-oriented mindset that focuses on possibilities.

3. Leadership Changes

How do we best lead others through change? There are some specific strategies you can take to ensure your team is moving together in the right direction to make a smoother transition. For example, have open and transparent communications, be available and have effective meetings.

First, you need clarity. Define where you are going by sharing the vision with everyone. Understand and communicate the “why” about the changes that are coming. Let everyone know how all stakeholders can win with these changes. Explain how the vision is different, better, more compelling now than before. Ask your team questions/have them ask you questions to make sure they understand the rationale.

Then be prepared to manage organizational resistance. Phrase your communications to be more on the human side because people matter more than plans and processes. Understand the organization’s culture and be prepared to overcome objections that will arise. Predict what the outcome will be from these changes to avoid surprises and tackle uncertainty about the future. Speak to the individual when explaining expectations, measurements of success and what success really means.

Be an Influential leader, one who can instill hope for the future. Hope brings several major benefits to a culture. It renews faith, builds confidence, promotes empowerment with clarity, helps increase productivity and instills teamwork.

4. Organizational Changes

What’s your organizational culture? Does it foster change and working as a High Performing Team? Let’s do a quick exam of a culture that fosters a High Performing Team by incorporating changes into the DNA of an enterprise while driving operating results.

High-Performing Teams are successful at incorporating changes. They do this by using three strong concepts within their leadership behaviors. Accountability is one essential element, where you do what you say you are going to do, by the deadline or before. Communication is the second essential element, whereby you have a plan and communicate it, repeatedly. Turn the unknowns into knowns for your team. Trust is the third essential element, where leadership consistently follows through on promises and commitments.

Organizations thrive when change is a part of their cultural DNA. Life is ever changing…it’s better to accept it. Always cast a clear vision with hope for the future. Be in the right camp and embrace change.

Remember—get your head on straight. Manage your mind. Mindset matters! 

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy—is a prolific author and a strategist. His organization, TJI, facilitates powerful meetings, keynote events and coaches high performers to accelerate their results.

From the November 2021 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Change: Mindset Matters first appeared on Direct Selling News.

As the adage goes, change is the only constant in life. Ray Kurzweil, the director of engineering at Google and arguably the world’s #1 futurist, notes that “the future will be far more surprising than most people realize.” The reason it will be more surprising, he argues, is “because few observers have truly internalized the implications of the fact that the rate of change itself is accelerating.”

The stronger the “DNA of Change and Innovation” is for a company, the better it will be for its future.

In his book titled, The Singularity Is Near, Mr. Kurzweil cites that the change in the short run might appear linear, but it becomes exponential over time. As you can see from the chart below, we are beginning the second phase of change when linear change in the short term turns into exponential change in the long term.

To put this chart in context, 20 years from now, the rate of change will be 4x what it is now. Differently put, for someone who is about 40 today, when they’re 60 in 2040, the rate of paradigm change will be 4x what it is now. They will experience a year of change (by today’s standards) in three months. For someone who is 10 today, when they’re 60, they’ll experience a year of change in 11 days.

Change for Direct Selling and Network Marketing

I have been in direct selling and network marketing for over three decades. Change is not a new concept for us. While change has always been a constant in business, the reality is that the marketplace will not adjust to how we have historically run our businesses. Even worse, the failure to change will magnify the speed of how much a company lacks relevancy over time. The failure to evolve has often been termed as a “slow death” of a company. Today the consequences for failure to evolve are more drastic and faster to the future of any company. The critical message for all legacy companies is to embrace change now!

I built the chart below on the trends driving change we face today in direct selling. The timeless forces driving change today are the fundamentals of acquiring a customer, retaining a customer, recruiting new reps and keeping those reps engaged in our business are timeless. However, how they are practiced in the marketplace is changing quickly.

We are seeing a major shift in the merger of the online and offline aspects of our business. A few months ago, I wrote an article for DSN that discussed this concept, The Dawn of the Phygital Movement in Direct Selling. We are seeing technology and data play a bigger role in direct selling companies internally and with their field. The DSA’s Digital Transformation Study released earlier this year noted the average company is spending about 8 percent of revenue on technology which is almost a 400 percent increase to what that was six years ago. Some of the bigger companies are spending 13-18 percent. In addition, we are seeing an increased level of competition for new entrepreneurs as companies use an independent contractor entrepreneurial model to build a salesforce. The impact of these trends is in their infancy, and their importance will magnify in the coming years. This is another reason why waiting to make key changes is a dangerous decision for any legacy company.

Two Core Obstacles to Change for Legacy Companies

Change is especially challenging for legacy companies. They face unique obstacles to change vs. startups and early-stage companies. Below are the two primary obstacles I find when working with legacy companies.

Obstacle 1: Lack of Understanding of How to Change

Change is a process that I mapped out in the diagram.

Step #1 is an analysis of what needs to change. This is where your team can identify and analyze the area or areas in your company that need to change.

Step #2 is the “breakthrough.” This is the most important part of the change process. A breakthrough is defined as a moment in time where there is an absolute commitment to change. With change, it is often important to burn the boat, so you cannot retreat to the “island of safety.” This is so important because without this level of resolve, it is only a matter of time before some obstacle defeats change.

Step #3 is to define a plan. There is an important concept when it comes to change management. That concept is that speed kills when it violates key fundamentals. So often, change needs to be managed in more of a long-term process than a “big bang” approach to change management. Our industry is masterful at selling hope and selling change is no different. It is important not to over promise and under deliver. If you do, you will likely create trust gaps that are massive roadblocks and make change virtually impossible.

Step #4 is to execute the plan in an effective way to minimize risk and maximize the results you want to see from change. Business is an execution game. You need the right voices in leadership driving change, and it is essential that these leaders are the voices for your company. You also need a talented and committed team to execute the plan.

Step #5 is to measure the results of change. While intuition has value, data is key to recognizing the best path forward. Plan to continue the change process to start step #1 over again. This is an effective way to create a “DNA of Change” vs. thinking that change has some endpoint. While some change is an event, most change is an ongoing process.

Obstacle 2: Understanding and Overcoming Fear

There are two types of fear. The first is fear that is evolutionary and is defined by our flight or fight response. The second and most common fear in business is “programmed fear.” All our brains work in a similar way and are derived from our experiences in life. We focus on something, and then our brain asks What does this mean? This is how our belief system is created and this controls many of the decisions and actions we take in life. When our beliefs are driven by repetition and emotions, they become more powerful to our brain and often become the “sacred cows” that stop change. This is why it is often said that the seven most expensive words in business are “we have always done it this way.”

One of the biggest fears is tied to the “J-Curve.” The concept of a J-Curve is that the adoption of changes will drop revenue and profitability. Leaders often see this as too big of a risk rather than an investment into relevancy and a better future for the company and all those involved with it. Change favors bold leadership but punishes those types of leaders if change is done too quickly or recklessly.

When it comes to fear, one of the biggest obstacles I see with companies is the fear of legacy leaders leaving their company. Many of these leaders have long-term relationships with their companies. They were promised a path to passive income, and once they earn it, they fight to protect it. This is a more complicated discussion since it relates to managing change with this group. I cannot stress enough the importance that these leaders see embracing change as an investment into their future vs. change taking something away from them. This is a behavioral game, and there is an art form to how to play this game effectively.

Addressing fear requires compassion, listening and observation. To address fear, one ultimately needs a psychologically safe environment. The first step in creating a psychologically safe environment is to acknowledge that fear is a sane emotion. Lower your organization’s cost of fear by increasing the psychological safety of people who are part of it, including yourself.

Lessons and Insights

Over the last six years, I have been primarily focused on helping companies to evolve their business models. Along the way, I have learned a few key lessons from both my successes and my failures. A summary of these insights and lessons is listed below.

1. Build a mission and vision tied to change. It should define the ultimate goals of what the company seeks to become in the future and its impact in the marketplace.
2. It is important to build a “behavioral blueprint.” This is a document that lists all the behaviors you will expect and demand from those in your business. Ultimately this is your North Star for making decisions. If you fail to approach change without this blueprint, you will find that self-agendas and mindset of key leaders will dictate the decisions of the company. This makes change difficult and extremely political.
3. In all change, there will be winners and losers. Managing the emotions of both is critical. Buy-in and alignment are critical with key stakeholders.
4. There are 3 cancers in business: drama, division and entitlement. You can effectuate change catering to people who drive these behaviors.
5. The ultimate decision maker for any company will likely determine the direction and extent of change. The limitation of change lies in their hands.
6. Focus on what you can control or influence. When it comes to the field, influence works much better than control.
7. Change happens in the trenches, not in the boardrooms.
8. Trust is built with a series of wins. The more wins, the easier it gets to execute change. This creates possibilities that were likely improbable during the initial change process.
9. It is best to be proactive to managing change. If you wait for change to be forced onto a company, the process of change becomes much more challenging.
10. If you refuse to embrace change, the future will likely penalize everyone involved with your company. Your legacy will likely be defined by your inability to evolve and how your leadership led to the demise of your company.
11. Avoid the tendency to have a new hero as the voice of change. Change should be about practicing the behaviors you want in your company and practicing fundamentals in a relevant way.

In the end, the areas below are always in a constant state of change. The stronger the “DNA of Change and Innovation” is for a company, the better it will be for its future. Culture is the ultimate differentiator in direct selling and network marketing. It is the foundation for its future.

As leaders, our job is to build the foundation to ensure the legacy and future of the company. This is the responsibility of any good leader. While the evolution of any legacy company is a difficult process, the longer a company waits, the more difficult change will become over time. DSN

Gordon Hester is a direct selling industry veteran, lecturer, consultant and an accomplished author. He is on the DSA Research Committee, the DSA Government Relationship Committee and is on the Board of the DSEF. Hester owns a stack technology company, Shapetech Solutions.

From the October 2021 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Navigating Change for Legacy Companies first appeared on Direct Selling News.

When are they going to realize I’m a fraud? is a secret and lurking question that haunts even the most successful. For some people, the private doubting sounds more like, What if I’m not the right person for this job? or What if I don’t have what it takes and fail?

The doubts echo differently, but the effect is so common that psychologists have given it the name “impostor syndrome.” This phenomenon establishes a psychological pattern of doubting one’s accomplishments while elevating the abilities of others and results in an internalized fear that eventually everyone will see you for who you really are: a fraud.

This belief that luck—not accomplishments, talent or qualifications—is the reason for a person’s success was first diagnosed as a syndrome in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance, Ph.D., and Suzanne Imes, Ph.D. Since then, researchers have discovered more about the phenomenon, learning that it strikes both men and women and doesn’t discriminate between job titles. It creeps into both the new intern’s cubicle and the corner offices of the C-suite alike.

It’s natural to assume that these persistent feelings of unworthiness might plague the worker just getting started, or to even chalk them up to nerves or inexperience. But why would executives who had worked their way up the ladder of success with experience and proven results—men and women who were chosen and hired for their ability to lead and inspire others—feel inadequate, unqualified or unworthy of their high-ranking job title?

The C-Suite Isn’t a Superpower

The answer begins with the mental image most of us subconsciously carry of what a chief executive should be: a tall and charismatic, visionary leader with Ivy League credentials who possesses laser-focused precision while making rapid-fire decisions. Add to all those exclusive characteristics the gender and racial bias elephants in the room, and the result is a typecast CEO in a role that very few people could play. This is the abrasive, well-dressed hero seen in improbable movie plotlines who saves the company at the last minute against all odds—a fantasy, but not reality.

Expectations like these are enough to make the average leader—even one with a portfolio full of awards, gleaming profit margins, and recommendation letters—question their abilities.

“Experience is cumulative. We all make bad decisions. Leaders get back up, dust themselves off, and quickly move on. Your organization depends on it.”
— Jere Thompson, Jr., Ambit Energy Co-Founder and CEO

The fears that resonate among those who sit at the head of the table aren’t much different from the fears that haunt the people who report to them. Underachieving, appearing foolish or too vulnerable, and being politically attacked by their coworkers ranked high in a 2014 Harvard Business Review study. The aftershocks of these fears, however, had a compounded impact because of their rank and were shown to create a ripple effect across the organization. As CEOs would become overcautious or take bad risks to compensate for their concerns, the way they acted out through their personal anxieties created an example of bad behavior that undermined the tiers of leadership below them as they followed suit.

But the ultimate fear of CEOs in this study is one that supplies an ideal catalyst for developing and nurturing an unhealthy struggle with the impostor syndrome: the fear of being incompetent.

Aren’t these Fears Natural?

Before standing at the helm of the multibillion-dollar Ambit Energy empire as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jere Thompson, Jr. remembers being plagued with nagging doubts about his own abilities. “When I started my first company and was told that the initial critical financial commitment had been approved, I was absolutely terrified,” Thompson says. “I couldn’t sleep that first night, and I was wide awake in a cold sweat, afraid that I might fail. I had never run a company, much less started one from scratch.”

And he’s not alone. Struggling with insecurity on the inside, even while appearing confident on the outside, is a common battle for individuals who hold the highest authority in their organizations. “Absolutely, I have struggled with this, and a lot of my friends involved in the industry have shared that they have too at some point in their career,” says Team National President and CEO Angela Loehr Chrysler. “I think it’s a normal aspect of caring about those you lead. As leaders, our decisions can affect thousands of individuals that trust and believe in our company, our mission and our product.”

However, as the study discovered, it isn’t the fear itself that renders a leader ineffective. In fact, according to an article published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, 70 percent of people experience impostor feelings at some point. Most executives even view fear as a natural part of leading or taking a business to the next level.

“The more I learn, listen, read, study and work on my own leadership, the more confident I become and the more wisdom I have to tap into as needed.”
— Angela Loehr Chrysler, Team National President and CEO

Fear may have haunted them at times, but as successful CEOs in the industry, Thompson and Loehr Chrysler have proven that the fears did not overcome them, nor have they negatively impacted their companies, as would be the case for someone with true impostor syndrome. So how did they come face-to-face with their fears and emerge victorious? What actions did they take to resiliently push back against their insecurities in order to build and lead profitable and thriving organizations? While it would be wise to consider the traits they possess and the habits they practice, the behaviors and characteristics they avoid are just as important to note.

Symptoms that Lead to Ineffective Leadership

Among those with heightened feelings of fraudulence, impostor syndrome expert Valerie Young found a pattern of predictable beliefs and behaviors that prevented them from effective leadership. Impostors expected perfection, setting almost unreasonable expectations and then drowning in failure, dwarfed by their own seeming incompetence. They were hesitant to make decisions, requiring every single data point before a decision could be made for fear they would be presumed stupid if the incorrect choice was made. They urgently needed to complete tasks on their own merits, without asking for help and frequently pushed themselves harder than their peers in an ironic effort to prove they were not impostors.

When asked what sets great executives like himself apart, CEO Jere Thompson responded with “Leaders must lead,” Thompson says. “They must make prompt decisions, set and execute priorities, attract and retain great people, delegate, and establish and live the values of the organization. You aren’t going to be right all of the time.”

The Successful CEO: It’s Not Who You Think

The glossy magazine cover CEO feeds the impostor syndrome mentality, but it is, of course, not necessarily reality. The Harvard Business Review addressed these misconceptions in their ten-year study of what specific attributes set apart the successful CEO (defined as one who exceeds the expectations of their board members and majority investors) in a project named the CEO Genome Project. What they found dismantled the common trope many executives struggling with impostor syndrome have internalized.

“A willingness to act on ideas and decisions are the greatest assets effective executives bring to the table.”

Although board members tended to initially gravitate toward the extroverted leader, the CEO Genome Project discovered that successful CEOs were often introverted. Charisma may get candidates shortlisted for a big promotion or new hire, the study showed, but it alone couldn’t determine longevity. And an elite education? The study found that only 7 percent of successful CEOs held an Ivy League pedigree and, in fact, 8 percent held no college degree at all. Virtually all CEOs in the study had made mistakes in the past, with almost half of them saying their mistake was so grave it cost them a previous job or created a financial hit for the company.

Successful leaders aren’t perfect it turns out. They don’t necessarily possess a magnetic personality or stand out as the most educated person in the room. And yet there’s something different about the CEOs in this study, and the CEOs we interviewed, that sets them apart from their peers. So what’s the key to unlocking their propensity for success?

High-Performance Actions & Habits

There is no one magic solution to transform someone into a high-performing CEO who is beloved by board members and shareholders alike. There are, however, crucial habits and actions that successful CEOs commonly exhibit that stave off the feelings of fraudulence and develop organizations that will confidently follow and collaborate alongside their leader.

In business as in relationships, trust is essential. That’s why three-quarters of the CEOs classified as successful in the CEO Genome Project’s study rated high on organization and planning. By creating a rhythm of meetings, accountability structures and methods for measuring performance, these CEOs were compulsively consistent in following through on their commitments. When it comes to leadership, delivering on time—every time—really does matter.

“I am boringly consistent,” Thompson says. “I have always been pretty good at making lists, prioritizing, focusing and then completing tasks. I have tried to be the same person in good times and in bad and no matter who I am with.”

Successful CEOs delegate and work well with others, but they also know how to keep momentum even when important voices are dissenting. Conflict management was a skill excelled in by two-thirds of the project’s successful CEOs. These CEOs listen to the echoes of voices from a variety of viewpoints without allowing them to slow down the process by waiting for consensus.

It’s no secret that the very best executives surround themselves with talented people in the areas in which they are not strong. When choices are on the table, the CEO Genome Project found that successful CEOs move quickly, even before all the data is presented. The problem with delving into the complexity of each decision, even when it results in making the right choice, is that it creates gridlock, frustrating hired talent or creating a slow-moving template that can cause the company to idle and eventually even stall. A wrong decision, the study found, was better than no decision at all.

“The moment arrogance sets in, or the I-can-do-no-wrong overconfidence clouds good judgment, then bad decisions and complacency will follow.”
— Jere Thompson, Jr.

A willingness to act on ideas and decisions are the assets effective executives bring to the table. And when a decision turns into a disappointment, or a market fluctuation sends plans spiraling, the high-performing CEO readily adapts. For these moments, there is no instruction manual, but the study found that the adaptable CEO was a successful CEO, and one who statistically spent more of their time—as much as half—focused on the future. They are not content to stay within their niche but instead research a wide swath of data and resources, even information unrelated to their industry, to check the pulse of the market and intuitively detect changes before they arrive.

Pick up your print copy of the November 2018 issue in which this article appeared.

“I think great leaders are caring, compassionate, transparent, humble, servant-minded and always learning,” Loehr Chrysler says. “They take advantage of time management skills and learn to listen to their inner voice and gut instinct while staying true to who they are and who their company is as well. The more I learn, listen, read, study and work on my own leadership, the more confident I become and the more wisdom I have to tap into as needed.”

A Little Fear Can Be Good

It’s true that a lot is riding on even the smallest decision a senior-level executive makes because more is at stake. But if the frustration or stress of that responsibility turns into emotional outbursts and negative body language, it can be a detriment to the entire organization. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that the moods of leaders directly impacted how well individual team members could execute strategy and collaborate. Even an offhand comment or sarcastic scoff could send a department reeling if misinterpreted, which explains why more than three-quarters of the high-performing CEOs in the CEO Genome Project scored high in being able to regulate their emotions. When you have the most power, you also typically have the most influence. That means that not only will employees and contractors follow their leader’s stride and style; they’ll also be looking for clues as to what to expect next. And when the buck stops with you, there’s no safety net on the other side.

The expectations, both real and imagined, that come with the promotion to the highest rung on the ladder of success can be daunting. But a little fear, it turns out, can sometimes be an excellent motivator. “Every C-suite level leader should be a little paranoid,” Thompson says. “The moment arrogance sets in, or the I-can-do-no-wrong overconfidence clouds good judgment, then bad decisions and complacency will follow. Both traits are company killers.”

When the fears feel tangible, as they did at one time for Thompson and Loehr Chrysler, a consistent commitment to decisiveness, creating momentum without waiting for consensus, adapting to meet the future, and steadily providing results can provide a course correction. And when the doubts seek to settle in, or a setback feels like a failure, it’s important to remember that a nameplate on the door of the C-suite does not a superhero make.

“Experience is cumulative,” Thompson says. “We all make bad decisions. Leaders get back up, dust themselves off, and quickly move on. Your organization depends on it.”

4 Things Successful CEO’s Do

The Harvard Business Review’s CEO Genome Project discovered that the successful CEO was almost obsessively consistent in at least one or more of the following four behaviors.

Successful CEO’s: decide with speed and conviction.
When this decisive behavior was present—even when all of the facts weren’t available, or the executive was in unfamiliar territory—the CEO was 12 times more likely to be high-performing.

Successful CEO’s: engage for impact.
Bringing stakeholders along without allowing them to sway the end result is almost an art form. These executives know how to recognize the motivations and dissents of key team members and cast vision that allows others to get on board without losing face. Though these CEO’s allow everyone’s input to be heard, they don’t allow others’ fears to change the course they have set.

Successful CEO’s: adapt proactively.
CEO’s spend most of their time preparing and thinking about the abstract—future results, teams that have yet to be created, problems that are lurking just around the corner—in order to sense changes on the horizon. They also see setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities for improvement.

Successful CEO’s: deliver reliably.
Predictability is safer. That’s why board members were more likely to pick the steadier, even lower producing candidate over the star executive with massive results if history didn’t illustrate those results over time.

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Stay with me, friends. I promise you this isn’t blasphemy.

You see, teaching a man to fish won’t feed him for a lifetime… unless you actually let the man go out and fish.

Here’s what I see in the business world all the time: Leaders, wanting to create a powerful team, pour their energy and resources into building their people. Conferences, workshops, retreats—no expense is spared to offer all the team members the skills they need to solve problems and contribute to the organization. Everyone is told how important it is for each individual to be empowered, to be able to reach objectives on his or her own.

“Empowerment happens only when a leader gives people the trust, permission and resources to make decisions and act in the organization’s best interest.”

And then everyone goes back to work—and waits for the leader to take charge. No decisions. No initiatives. No from-the-bottom-up ideas.

What happened?

The leader hasn’t really empowered his people. He has simply trained them. Empowerment happens only when a leader gives people the trust, permission and resources to make decisions and act in the organization’s best interest.

This philosophy can be a struggle to embrace. It was a lesson I learned early in my career after some members of my team confronted me and pointed out my self-centeredness. That’s when I realized that if everything depends on the leader, the team will achieve only what its leader is capable of achieving.

I made a commitment right then to empower my people. Releasing authority isn’t easy. Yet once I began handing power to my team, I was amazed at how much our organization increased its impact.

Empowerment is the way to blow the lid off any organization

Trained people who are skilled at their jobs and trusted by their leaders can do extraordinary things.

History provides us with one of the most remarkable and dramatic examples of what can happen with an empowered team: the Apollo 13 mission to the moon, one of the most famous episodes in the history of space travel—if only because it could have been one of the most tragic incidents in the history of space travel. If you weren’t around in 1970 when this perilous situation grabbed the public’s attention (or if you didn’t see the Tom Hanks movie about the moonshot gone wrong), here’s what happened: Damage to the spacecraft resulted in a life-threatening situation for the three men on board. The air supply in the lunar module—the crew’s “lifeboat” when the service module broke down—wouldn’t last long enough to bring the crew home alive.

“Yet once I began handing power to my team, I was amazed at how much our organization increased its impact.”
— John C. Maxwell

The astronauts were literally contaminating the air with carbon dioxide every time they exhaled. That’s when a scrappy team of engineers at NASA in Houston averted disaster. They took a pile of random objects—including duct tape, plastic bags and cardboard—and used them to devise an air-filtration system essential to survival.

With lives on the line, NASA leaders trusted their people to make the impossible possible. They empowered the engineers to create a miracle, and they did.

How did the NASA brain trust do it?

They had confidence in their staff.

The engineers at NASA are some of the best in their respective fields, but so are the people who lead them. Because of the gravity of the moment, some of those leaders might have quite logically said, “I have years of experience in this field, and this is a huge assignment. I’ll take it from here.” Instead they put their faith in the engineering team, trusting them to solve the crisis.

They gave the staff permission to work.

There were no parameters, no limitations. The leaders simply said, “You have these materials with this objective, and it has to work.” Because of the situation, NASA leaders understood a powerful truth: When it comes to getting someone’s very best, expectations are better than rules. Rather than narrowing the possible outcomes, NASA opened the door for the engineers to explore the boundaries of their creativity.

They gave the staff all the resources they could.

This doesn’t mean the engineers received a blank check to do whatever they wished. They had to work with a very limited pile of materials available to the astronauts in the Apollo module. But they were told they could use any of those materials in whatever combinations they desired. In this case, the quantity of resources was limited, but the use of the resources was not.

The astronauts said, “Houston, we have a problem;” and before it was too late, NASA’s empowered engineers said, “OK, Odyssey, here’s a solution.” Great leadership made the solution possible.

While you and your team may never face a situation as dire as the Apollo 13 mission, you still face challenges together every day. Some are small; some are large; all are opportunities for your team to produce outstanding results.

The question is: Will you truly empower them?

JOHN C. MAXWELL is a leadership expert, speaker, best-selling author and the founder of EQUIP and.the John Maxwell Co., which have trained more than 5 million leaders worldwide.

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Photo: ARIIX’s smart car-riding CEO Fred Cooper.

This Q&A is part of the August 2018 Company Spotlight featuring ARIIX.

You celebrated your 7th anniversary this summer. What are your thoughts on where you are as a company?

Fred: I’m a perfectionist, so I would say we’re never as big as we hoped to be, but since our third year in business we’ve made the Direct Selling News Global 100 list, and we have moved up the ranks steadily each year. From #91 in 2016 to #82 in 2017, and #78 this year. There can’t be a lot on that list who have accomplished the kind of consistent, year-over-year growth.

What is your leadership style?

Fred: There are many families who are depending on our leadership team to make the right decisions, day in and day out. That’s a lot of responsibility, and I take it very seriously. So that means everyone at our corporate office is doing their job well every day, myself included. I’m not the kind that will be at your desk micromanaging you. I expect our staff to do their job and do it well because if we don’t, we will let many families down as a result. I sleep pretty well at night knowing that our team is up to the task of leading our company in the right direction.

How does being a house of brands help you in being a nimble company?

Fred: Having a house of brands allows us not to get stuck with any one product line. Every product has a lifecycle, and the consumer demand for any one product will eventually wane over time. It’s our diversity of products and services that has been one of the keys to our consistent growth. We also are not married to just products. We’re not married just to services. We have both, and we feel that will serve us well in the future.

It also creates for our Representatives a chance to share a product or service they are passionate about. They don’t have to share other product lines if they so choose. Over time they may want to offer additional products or services we provide. The key is we give them a choice of products and services to share with their friends and family.

What are your criteria for expanding internationally? Any advice you want to give on lessons learned?

Fred: Certainly, the size of the country, the size of the direct selling market, the laws, how friendly they are toward direct selling all have a bearing on our decision. I think we made a mistake at the beginning. We opened too many countries too soon. The infrastructure and the requirements to service those countries get to be exorbitant. My advice would be not to go too fast or too quickly. Make sure that you have the infrastructure in place, and that you can support all the countries all at once because the problems and the requirements and the expenses increase exponentially as you move from country to country internationally.

Pick up your print copy of the August 2018 issue in which this article appeared.

How does ARIIX give back? Share with us some of your philanthropic initiatives.

Fred: We try to make the donations pretty much in the countries where we generate the sales. As we generate those sales, we try to target back to charities or organizations located in that local country. For example, we have a partnership with the Women’s Foundation in China. It’s a significant cause for families in China and specifically helping single mothers.

What are your goals going forward? What skills or mindset do you need to tweak as a company to continue to grow and get where you want to be?

Fred: I want us to move from good to great. I want to start making changes that say, Yes, this is good. It is acceptable, but let’s see if we can make it easier for our Representatives to do business. Because when it comes down to it, a company only needs to do three things very, very well, which is take an order, pay commissions, and ship a great product. That’s it. If you can do those three things better than anyone, our Representatives should have no excuse to be frustrated in doing business with us.

The post Q&A with Fred Cooper, CEO of ARIIX first appeared on Direct Selling News.

The company has a new ownership group, which has a number of investments in the direct selling channel, supporting companies like Princess House.

Chloe + Isabel has attracted two experienced leaders who support entrepreneurship, empowerment and opportunity. Recently appointed President and CEO Doug Hepfer and Senior Vice President of Sales Marcia Cota bring decades of experience in direct sales. They, along with the company’s ownership and the board of directors, say they believe in the potential for Chloe + Isabel to impact thousands of lives in the United States, and soon, Canada.

“Doug and I are confident that Chloe + Isabel is a company that can support enterprising and savvy individuals in achieving their successes,” said Cota. “Opening an Online Boutique with Chloe + Isabel is as unique an experience as it is simple, and our new career plan and business practices will help a wide range of people to be successful, whether they are looking for additional income, or a fulfilling community where they can flourish through mentorship and new friendships. Our goal is to take an incredible foundation of success, enhance it and open it up to a wider audience.”

Chloe + Isabel launched seven years ago with a vision of building a community of individuals who share a joy for connecting on social media, desire an alternate earning opportunity and love high-quality and inspired fashion jewelry. The company is committed to empowering media-savvy women to build entrepreneurial businesses through social retailing and social communities.

New leadership has repositioned the company to make its Merchandiser opportunity attractive to a much broader group of entrepreneurial women. The company has removed the previous application and interview process and has implemented a new and sales compensation plan, providing an improved economic opportunity for its Independent Merchandisers and a newly enhanced earning potential for Sales Field Leaders.

The post Chloe + Isabel Completes Restructuring; Hires New Executives first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Bo Short

Short will oversee the U.S. and global sales teams, managing and directing all Nerium International salesforces in markets throughout North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe.

Short brings executive acumen and strategic leadership experience to the Nerium International team with his proven track record of motivational coaching and sales leadership development in the channel.

“We are enthused about Bo’s role as chief sales officer with our dynamic direct selling company as he becomes part of our global movement to make people better by offering innovative skincare and wellness solutions, and an incomparable business opportunity,” said Nerium President Deborah K. Heisz. “Bo has decades of proven leadership experience with direct sales companies both building in the field and serving in corporate roles. Bo will provide his management expertise to drive our sales organization as he catapults Nerium International to its next benchmark of success.”

Nerium launched in the U.S. in August 2011 with a line of exclusive age-fighting skincare and wellness products that are science-based. It currently operates in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria and Singapore.

“I am honored to be a part of this great Nerium International family and culture,” said Short. “I look forward to working with our incredible field leaders as we continue to grow sales and strengthen Brand Partner training, so that we can raise leaders around the world to help them achieve their personal goals and aspirations.”

The post Bo Short Named Nerium International Chief Sales Officer first appeared on Direct Selling News.