Page 83 - Midas Touch

responsibility for the success of the team and understand
that they must also take responsibility for the failure. Too
often entrepreneurs blame a lack of performance on
employees, the economy, or competitors. However, the best

entrepreneurs look at themselves first to uncover their own
mistakes and learn from them.

So are we saying you need to quit your job, shut down your
business, and go to military school to learn leadership? No.
You can learn leadership, team-building, and mission-
inspiring skills from many places in life. We already

mentioned sports. Becoming the captain of a team in your
community softball or basketball league will build these
skills in you. So will chairing a church committee, serving
on the board of a professional organization, or being in
charge of an event for a favorite charity. Putting yourself in
leadership positions will give you the skills you need and

help you network, which is always good for business.

Both of us recommend a part-time network-marketing
business as another means of gaining leadership training.
These opportunities force you to meet and communicate
with people. This is a tough thing for many people, but is an
absolute requirement for a successful entrepreneur. It’s

better to stretch when the stakes are low than to do it when
your life depends on it. You may find out that this
entrepreneurship thing isn’t for you, and that’s okay. People
skills are not optional. They absolutely are required to
become a successful B or I.

The reason why learning to take orders is so critical to
leadership is because, before becoming a good leader, you
must learn how to be a good follower. Only then can you
communicate effectively with the people you want to
follow you. Many very smart S’s fail to become B’s or I’s
because they can’t communicate well with people. They
don’t make friends or build relationships well. They may be