Kill Distractions!

If you want to be a leader in our profession and build a large team, you have to kill distractions.  Relentlessly.

Because as your organization grows, so will the possible distractions.  And make no mistake, everything that doesn’t produce new customers and grow the team is a distraction.  And you have to kill them.

Every team member you have faces a huge decision, each and every day.  They have to decide should they pick up the phone and prospect a candidate – facing the possibility of rejection – or can they find a distraction and practice avoidance behavior?

Your company just introduced a new protein shake in six delicious flavors.  Know what your new distributor will ask?  “When will they have mango flavor?”

That’s a distraction.  Kill it.

You just sponsored a new distributor in Kansas.  Know what she will say when you get her started? “My sister lives in Nigeria. When is the company going to open there?”

That’s a distraction.  Kill it.

Your team members will suggest if the company pays more money in the comp plan they can grow faster.

That’s a distraction.  Kill it.

We don’t control the wind.  We only control what direction we can turn the sail.

We don’t develop products, design IT, create the compensation plan, manage the warehouse, create the company logo, or hire the customer service employees.  We don’t control elections, public policy, the weather or the economy.  All those things are distractions.  You kill them – or they kill your business.

We present the business opportunity and get customers.  That’s how we get paid. Everything else is a distraction.

Every time you have a team member get seduced by a distraction, you have to kill it and get them focused on building their customer base and getting prospects in front of a presentation.

So when Lourdes says, “There is a new company starting and I hear they pay an extra 1 percent of the breakaway volume for the third generation…”

You say, “Lourdes, that’s a distraction.  Let’s focus on what you can control.  Let’s get out your candidate list and start inviting people to the next presentation.”

When David says, “I hear that Jimmy, one of our top leaders just left and went to a competing company.  Is that true?  Why did he leave…”

You say, “David, that’s a distraction.  Let’s focus on what you can control.  We wish Jimmy the best of success for his future.  Let’s get out your candidate list and start inviting people to the next presentation.”

When Rebeca says, “How will the UK leaving the EU affect the price of herbs in the South American rainforest which would impact the exchange rate that we get paid commissions on…”

You say, “Rebeca, that’s a distraction. Let’s focus on what you can control.  Let’s get out your candidate list and start inviting people to the next presentation.”

(This is part three of a series on the seven actions leaders take that separate them from ordinary team members. See part one here and part two here.  Next post we’ll explore the fourth action, setting the correct culture.)

Team members get distracted.  Team leaders kill distractions.  Which one will you be?

– RG