What Do People See in You?

Leadership Principle: People Want to Duplicate Your Actions

When your team looks at you or watch what you do each day, what do they see? It is important to keep in mind that people do what people see.  Make sure that you are conscious of the fact that others are watching you and constantly following your lead.
What you do affects what your team will do. How you work shapes how your team will work. What you value will influence what your team will value. Take the time to ask yourself, “What kinds of traits do I want to my team to duplicate?”

1. Strive for Personal Growth

Many people identify a certain career position, personal, or financial goal they want to reach. They work day in and day out to achieve that goal, and eventually reach it. But once they get there, they stop working hard and stop growing. Your team will stop improving the moment you lose the motivation to take your business to the next level. If you’re resting on your laurels, your team will assume you are doing what you’ve always done, and follow suit.

Avoid this slump…If you feel yourself slowing down, it’s time for a self-assessment. If you continue to strive, your people will do the same—it is highly contagious. Set new, higher goals for yourself and make sure your team is there to see you pursue them.

2. Genuinely Care for People

Show that you care—Shake hands, say hello, and shoot out smiles. People want to follow and trust you. They want to know that their leader cares about them as people, not just as business assets. Take the time to associate yourself and show compassion for people; your team will help you understand what people want and need.

3. Have the Desire and Ability to Coach Others

“The only difference between a rich person and a poor person,” says Rich Dad Poor Dadauthor Robert Kiyosaki, “is how they use their time.” Model this for your team. Keep yourself from idling and make the most out of every day. Talk to your team about their priorities.

If you can learn to coach people, you’ll help your organization and yourself as well. By coaching, you will not only train and guide, but also develop long-term and impactful relationships.

3 Leadership Skills for Insurance Sales

With the numerous training materials available to sales representatives these days, it’s easy to lose focus and stretch yourself too thin trying to meet abstract objectives and achieve concrete metric goals in an extremely dynamic environment.  It’s important to keep in mind that though the world is ever-changing, there is always one factor which we are able to control: ourselves.  Inspiring yourself and those around you is one of the simplest ways to gain success and establish yourself as a leader at National Agents Alliance, and possessing the three characteristics below will aid in garnering the respect and attention of those around you.

Optimism

One of the most glaringly obvious traits of any successful salesperson is the ability to maintain a positive attitude, no matter the circumstance.  Rejection is a difficult fact of life to accept and overcome, but the ability to keep their chins up and power through the “no’s” while motivating themselves and others is what truly sets the successful salesman apart from the rest.

Self-Awareness

This quality ties directly into the above point that the only true control we possess is over ourselves.  Conduct a SWOT analysis of yourself and your situation – in terms of internal factors, what are your Strengths and Weaknesses?  Where do you feel you have the natural ability to excel, and what areas could use some work?  For external factors, can you identify any Threats, such as competition, which you perceive to be keeping you from closing a sale?  What can you do to overcome these obstacles?  Or are there Opportunities, such as new markets, which you have yet to explore?  Be honest with yourself and with others.  Leading by example is the most effective way to establish trust and credibility with your team.

Ability to Listen

Often overlooked, the ability to listen is one of the most crucial components of any job.  Without it, learning is impossible and growth in every area will certainly be stunted.  Remembering to always be a student and to continuously absorb information from associates as well as experiences is what keeps a good employee from becoming stuck in a rut and inevitably obsolete.

Though this is far from being an exhaustive list of the traits of a successful sales leader at National Agents Alliance, these are stand-out qualities of those who have proven themselves capable of making the sale time and time again.  If you’re stuck in a rut and are waiting for your situation to improve, just remember that there is a common denominator that you have control over – and it’s you.

Break Free From Your Rut and Build A Better Life

We’ve all hit a rut in our lives—it’s that holding place that we know we need to get out of, but you just don’t know how to go about it.

With the 2008 recession in the past and our country seemingly gaining momentum, it should serve as a sign that your days in the rut are over are there are new beginnings on the horizon. You can no longer use the “recession” as your excuse for building a better life and future for yourself.

Those goals of starting your own business, grabbing that coveted promotion or becoming successful in your endeavors, are no longer allowed to be placed on the back burner. Goals are never reached without VISION, MOTIVATION, and ACTION.

What is your vision do you see for yourself? Do you want to build a profitable business, reach the next level in your career, or create a product to change the world?

Next, what is your motivation? Do you want to provide a better life for your children, or do you want to take that vacation around the world that you always dreamt of?

Lastly, what steps are you taking in order to reach those goals and aspirations? Remember, nothing changes unless you begin to change your situation!

But, sometimes making plans doesn’t always make those plans happen! That’s where The Albright Challenge comes in.

The Albright Challenge is a 90-day comprehensive program that helps you make your tomorrow better than your today. With this program you can realize your dreams and work toward achieving them with daily videos and action steps from multi-millionaire and President and CEO of National Agents Alliance, Andy Albright.

This powerful program can transform your life both professional and personally, taking you to heights you never imagined in only 90-days. To get a taste of The Albright Challenge, just visit www.albrightchallenge.com to sign-up for a FREE trial!

Go ahead; make the decision to change your life today!

The Pursuit: Separating the Leaders from the Great Leaders

Are you in pursuit of something? Are you taking advantage of everyday in order to reach greatness and achievement?

The pursuit is what makes leaders great. They are never satisfied with the “traditional” or “status quo,” they are always chasing after excellence; the next thing, change, results, knowledge and the bigger picture. This is what separates the leaders from the great leaders and the movers and shakers that the followers look up to.

In fact, great leaders are great pursuers.

If you are not actively pursuing something—your dreams, the next level, the bigger picture—you’ll never attain anything. In fact, having the mindset and staying focused on the pursuit is such a critical element to leadership that failing to possess this quality will set you back to mediocrity or even worse—obsolescence.

But simply just pursuing something will not be enough. Your pursuit must be intentional, deliberate, unyielding, consistent and aggressive—nothing should stand in your way. Obstacles are merely hurdles that can be moved out of the way.

Everyday should be a continued forward movement towards your goal. Those who stop along the way will never make it to the end of the race, or the light at the end of the tunnel.

National Agents Alliance wants to know what are you pursuing and how are you doing it?

5 Essentials for Success

How do you define success? Most people are too busy making a living to ever give it more than a passing thought. Because we have such a diverse group of people at National Agents Alliance we have many definitions of success, and it’s clear that what defines success is different for every individual.

NAA’s CEO, Andy Albright has trained so many winners it is obvious that success is attainable by anyone with a strong desire and we have learned that success is WITHIN you.  Too many people are worried about whether others find them successful when the real question is “Do you think so?” For success to be meaningful it must be a personal thing, and it is not just tied to material possessions.

The first essential for success is purpose. You have to know that what you are doing is moving forward toward a goal and that there is satisfaction in the journey. Without a very strong “WHY” it’s difficult to stay on task and enjoy your work.

Secondly, success is very much like a batting average in baseball. There are peaks and valleys that everyone endures. Some days everything works perfectly; other days nothing seems to work. Every effort cannot be a home run. Baseball players getting 3 hits out of every 10 at-bats end up in the Hall of Fame. Don’t think you have to be perfect to be a success.

The third essential for success is the price that has to be paid. There is no free lunch…you have to pay a price for success. That price may be years of study, decades of hard work, or both, but there will be a price. Some of the joy of success comes from knowing you worked hard and earned it.

A fourth essential is satisfaction. For one person that satisfaction may come from scoring a six-figure deal for the company, and for another it might come from writing a poem. The satisfaction of success need not be recognizable by anyone else as long as you know it.

Finally, an important element of success is spirituality. It’s hard to imagine anyone feeling successful without also feeling somehow connected to the greater purposes of life and to a higher power. Whether one is a successful street sweeper or a successful Fortune 500 CEO doesn’t matter. It’s personal.

People from all different backgrounds achieve success with National Agents Alliance, and each agent defines success a little differently. By following our motto…Have Fun, Make Money, and Make a Difference…each agent defines their own level of satisfaction. Some earn more money than others, but everyone gets to make a difference.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership: Have You Been a Victim?

Becoming a leader is a rocky road full of obstacles, and knowing how to navigate that perilous territory is what will make you a great leader.

Being aware of the following seven deadly sins of leadership won’t ensure that you’ll be a leader, or that you won’t fall victim to one of these sins— because let’s face it, some of them are tempting. But, either way it’ll provide a learning experience that you could grow from.

Thoughtleadersllc.com’s article, “The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership,” has identified the following sins of leadership that you may fall victim to:

• Lust: Don’t worry – we’re not talking about sex here.  But we are talking about appearances.  While it’s important to dress the part of a leader and to be charismatic and have sex appeal, more than a hint of it can be your undoing.  Sex appeal is like cologne or perfume.  It needs to be understated because the moments you even think about being too charismatic, you’ve gone too far and you reek of it.  Let your actions and achievements attract others to be members of your team – not your Gucci Armani Coach Louis Vuitton Polo ensemble.
• Gluttony: Resources are scarce.  Budgets, people, IT support, etc. are all at a premium.  If you’re lucky enough to have some of these assets, bully for you.  As a leader, you must resist the urge to hoard these resources.  You’ll be seen as not being a team player and you’ll hurt other areas of your business who need the resources more than you do.  When you’re offered resources, take only what you need.  Being a resource pig is a quick way to earn a bad reputation.
• Greed: If you’re in leadership role for the money, you’ve got it all wrong.  You’re responsible for the care and feeding of the people around you.  Doing it for cold, hard cash is the antithesis of being a servant leader.  Don’t get caught focusing on the raise, the bonus, or the corner office.  It will come back to haunt you when everyone on your team quits in search of a leader who cares more about them than they do about stock options.  Keep your priorities straight – if you lead well, the compensation will naturally follow.
• Sloth: Don’t be a paper pusher who signs off on things in between rounds of Minesweeper and Solitaire.  Every once in a while you need to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.  Being a lazy body who does nothing but preside because you’re a president/vice president or direct because you’re a director will earn you nothing but disdain.  Your team members model your behavior.  If you’re lazy, they’ll be lazier.  If you bust your behind, you can expect great things from them.
• Wrath: Things at work will make you mad (especially if you’re exceedingly passionate about the work you do).  When things go poorly, you might have the urge to explode and take it out on the nearest team member, colleague, or boss.  Don’t.  Check yourself before you wreck yourself (Ice Cube!).  The ability to restrain your anger and instead redirect it into fixing things will go a long way.  No one wants to work for a hot head.  Practice counting to 10.  Wait a day before sending that scorching email.  Go take a walk.  No matter what, don’t lose it.
• Envy: You want that corner office and the peach of a parking spot, don’t you?  Focusing on the roles, possessions, and achievements of others is cancerous.  It leads you to get distracted from the things that really matter – the members of your team.  All of us want to get promoted and advance our careers.  There are two paths to doing so – getting pulled up by those above us or getting pushed up by the members of our teams.  Avoid the temptation to covet those things above you and instead focus all your time, energy, and attention on your team.  You’ll be in the corner office before you know it.
• Pride: If you’re too busy telling others about your accomplishments, you’re not improving your business.  We all have a desire for rewards and recognition and all of us are good at what we do.  But instead of telling people how awesome you are (and likely deriding others in the organization along the way), let other people sing your praises.  It’s your boss’ job to promote your accomplishments – not yours.  Do incredible things for your boss, your team, your customers, your partners, etc.  When you do, they’ll be more than happy to tell people how great you are.  And no matter how much they praise you, don’t let it go to your head because doing so will be your downfall.

Girls Can Do Anything Boys Can Do—And Be Happier!

Women have long maintained that “girls can do anything that boys can do, but better and in high heels,” and now they have more evidence to support their belief!

The Hartford Financial Services Group report found that more than 90 percent of the women entrepreneurs have vied their business as a success; while only 80 percent of men felt the same way, Entrepreneur Magazine reported.

The survey found some clues as to what may be contributing to women’s confidence in business:

• Women are more risk-averse: The survey found that 55 percent of women viewed themselves as conservative in taking risks in their business, compared to 47 percent of men. Furthermore, 80 percent of women responded that they did not think taking more risks would make them more successful.

• Women don’t blame the economy: Instead of focusing on the economy, women found that the increased cost of doing business was their top problem, followed by government red tape. Only 21 percent said lack of demand or customers was their top concern.

• Women vote in favor to help their business: Eighty-nine percent of woman stated that they would vote for pro-business candidates in November, whereas only 79 percent of males would. This may be because of their increased level of empowerment at the ballot box, which makes them feel more confident they’ll have a business climate they like.

Entrepreneur Magazine also offered another suggestion as to why women are happier with their business: “Our expectations may be lower. Fewer women go into business with dreams of building an empire. Women I know consider their business a success if they can be their own boss and replace their former job income.”

Here at National Agents Alliance, we believe that in the end, its mind over matter—if you want to be successful, believe that you are!

Gun Shy? 5 Tips on How to Make Better Decisions and Pull the Trigger

One of the requirements of being a leader and successful business owner at National Agents Alliance is being able to make decisions—some loathe this, others find it empowering and some just simply decide not to decide. No matter how you look at it you will have to make decisions at some point in order to become a leader and reach success.

While many decisions take time in order to come to an answer, but you won’t be allowed that luxury every time you need to come to a decision. Being able to make a decision at the drop of a dime is key to staying on top of your game.

Entrepreneur Magazine has released five tips on how to make quicker, more calculated decisions:

1. Stop seeking perfection. Many great leaders would prefer a project or report be delivered only 80% complete a few hours early than 100% complete five minutes late. Moral of the story: Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Instead of seeking the impossible, efficient decision makers tend to leap without all the answers and trust that they’ll be able to build their wings on the way down.
2. Be independent. Good decision makers are “collaboratively independent.” They tend to surround themselves with the best and brightest and ask pointed questions. For instance, in a discussion with subject-matter experts, they don’t ask: “What should I do?” Rather, their query is: “What’s your thinking on this?” Waiting for committees or an expansive chain of command to make decisions could take longer. Get your information from credible sources and then act, swiftly.
3. Turn your brain off. Insight comes when you least expect it. Similar to suddenly remembering the name of an actor that you think you’d just plumb forgotten. The same happens when you’re trying to make a decision. By simply turning your mind off for a while or even switching to a different dilemma, you’ll give your brain the opportunity to scan its data bank for information that is already stored and waiting to be retrieved.
4. Don’t problem solve, decide. A decision can solve a problem, but not every problem can be solved by making a decision. Instead, decision making often relies more on intuition than analysis. Deciding between vendors, for instance, requires examining historical data, references and prices. But the tipping point often rests with your gut. Which feels like the right choice?
5. Admit your mistakes. If your feelings have steered you wrong, correct the error and fess up. Even making the wrong decision will garner more respect and loyalty when you admit you’ve made a mistake and resolve it than if you are habitually indecisive.

Leadership, Part 3

The conclusion to our study of the late John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success brings us to the final three blocks indicating traits all leaders need.

The two blocks supporting the apex of the pyramid are Poise and Confidence, both traits that top producers at National Agents Alliance display with ease because of their financial success.

Our top agents not only produce personally, but those with big organizations have the responsibility to teach new and growing agents.  While the NAA business is a proven, lucrative business model, it is certainly not without challenges and the usual ups and downs.  This is where poise is a required trait, and with younger agents watching every move they make, leaders cannot allow events to rattle them.  It’s always easy to look good when things are going great, but the true leader performs in a steady manner even while others around them don’t know how to handle the situation.

Confidence goes hand-in-hand with poise and is no less important.  New agents look to the leader to see how they act, and NAA’s top agents have been tested by fire, strengthened like steel.  We know that success breeds success, and every time top producers overcome hurdles and objections, more confidence is built.

At the apex of Coach Wooden’s success principles we find Competitive Greatness.  What is obvious in the best-of-best is their ability to rise to the occasion at the most crucial time.  They perform at their best just when their best is needed.

Leaders know that doing the little things will make the big things happen, and that means doing the right things every day, not once-in-a-while.  No shortcuts allowed.  What the leader does, the follower will do, too, so leaders know they’re expected to “make every day their masterpiece.”  They preach consistency and teach “the way you do one thing is the way you will do everything.”

National Agents Alliance leaders post the Pyramid of Success where is serves as a daily reminder of what they expect of themselves (you can get a copy at www.CoachJohnWooden.com) and they abide by one of Coach Wooden’s favorite sayings:  “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Leadership, Part 1 | Leadership, Part 2 | Leadership, Part 3

Leadership, Part 2

In a previous post we discussed the strong foundation needed to build an enduring National Agents Alliance business, or any endeavor, and we based the lesson on the “Pyramid of Success” developed by the late John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach and expert on leadership.

After the five building blocks that make up the base, or foundation, the next two levels of Wooden’s success pyramid are made up of these traits:

• Self-Control
• Alertness
• Initiative
• Intentness
• Condition
• Skill
• Team Spirit

To command respect, a leader must be disciplined, and therefore Self-Control a must.  It is difficult to get people to follow you if you cannot control yourself.

Alertness means that the leader is always aware and observant of what is going on around the business, the team, and is able to meet challenges in a timely fashion, never being blind-sided or surprised by circumstances.

To have the trait of Initiative requires decision-making skills, without procrastination, setting the example that no task is too small for anyone.

Any time that things become difficult, the leader displays the trait of Intentness, or perseverance, never surrendering, but working harder and smarter to overcome whatever roadblock life tries to put across the road to success.

Andy Albright’s 8 Steps to Success stresses being teachable and Wooden’s Pyramid of Success similarly highlights the building block he calls Skill, which he describes as “what a leader learns after he’s learned it all.” Followers are looking to you, and you can never stop learning.  If you stop, they will too.

In any organization, strong character is required for long-term success, and here Wooden emphasizes the importance of Condition of the body and mind as equally important as ability. It is obvious to everyone that ability is required, but many overlook the importance of having a well-conditioned mental, moral and physical character.

Everyone has probably heard the old cliché, “There is no “I” in Team,” and most understand the meaning.  Leaders know how crucial Team Spirit is to success any time there is more than one person involved, and embody the idea of “we” superseding “me.”  A good way to lose the team is to grab all the glory for yourself.  We know a lot more can be accomplished when no one cares who gets credit.  Top leaders at National Agents Alliance always work hard to promote and edify others, and make sure everyone gets their fair share of the credit.

Watch for the final installment on Wooden’s Pyramid of Success where we’ll take you to the peak of the pyramid and Coach Wooden’s final secrets of leadership.

Leadership, Part 1 | Leadership, Part 2 | Leadership, Part 3