subject: Internet Marketing Entrepreneur Leadership Advice [print this page] If you are considering becoming an online entrepreneur, first and foremost know that you will be in a leadership position. You will begin by leading yourself and then others will follow. How you treat those that follow will determine your success as a leader.
Many are trying to get away from the traditional leadership model of power, wealth and fame. This style of leadership has created the problems our society is dealing with today. Greed overcame many leaders in the world and what resulted is this lingering recession, many people without jobs, and an abysmal housing market. The attitude of this type of leadership also results in low employee morale and low levels of commitment. Disillusionment results when employees see the leaders of the company spending freely on themselves while pulling in the reigns of the employees.
The best way to be a good leader is to start early, from the beginning. Establish core values for yourself and your business. Share your core values with others. Let them know as you develop your team that you want to work with people that share your values. Not everyone will be right for your team so be sure to choose with discretion. Find out why a person wants what you are offering before bringing a new person on the team.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Have a support group that can help you in areas that you feel are weak. Ask for input so that you are getting others opinions. Find a mentor that has been successful to help guide you in the right direction and answer any questions you might have. For a company to be in the strongest position possible, it is important to be able to delegate. A good leader does not hold the weight of the world on his shoulders but has a team to help him.
Listening is one of the greatest qualities of a good leader. Many business owners can get a business up and running but are unable to sustain it because they do not listen to others. Finding out what another person wants and how he can be helped develops your team and other leaders. It is important to understand what a person needs to perform at a high level and then provide that for them. If a person feels he has been heard, he feels he is a member of the team. The goal here is to develop other leaders. You can only do that by listening.
This type of leadership becomes who you are not what you are. Caring about others and their success brings success to you. Your behavior and attitude are consistent in all situations. Being true to core values that you have established ensures that you are doing the right thing and being a good person. This is the type of leadership that is valued by most.
As you start your online entrepreneurship you will be on your own. Find a company and product to represent that gives excellent support in terms of back office, conference calls, webinars and sponsors. You will need all of these to get through your learning curve. You, however, will become the leader of a team as your success grows. You want the members of your team to be strong, self sufficient and embody the core values that are important to you. Discuss this with your team members as you interview them. You are looking for keepers, not tire kickers. So, be sure that their idea of leadership jives with yours. With a strong set of core values and a strong team, there is no doubt of your success.
