There are 10 Deadly Sins in Network Marketing. Leadership attributes are the opposite of these Deadly Sins. Although I’m not going to tell you which ones, I’ve committed almost all of these sins at one point or another in my career. And, if you’re in Network Marketing long enough, you probably will too. But if you want to be a leader, do the opposite of these things…

1. Lying

Lying will destroy your leadership position. You can’t lie about your product, opportunity, income or rank. Exaggerating is lying too. And believe me everybody will know. Don’t purposely mislead people. If you lie, people won’t follow you or respect you. 

2. Bullying

Some people think that to be a leader you need to be so strong that you shut everybody else down. Some might even use it as a leadership technique – if anybody questions them they publicly destroy that person. They lead by fear instead of example. This will cause people to run away from you. 

3. Negativity

Being negative will destroy your position of leadership. Negativity is natural in an organization.  People grumble, complain, gossip. But a true leader doesn’t engage in that activity. If you’re negative you won’t have a large organization. You’ll poison the well. Negative talk has no place in Network Marketing.

4. Inconsistency

This is one of the Deadly Sins that I have struggled with the most. You have to have a baseline of consistency to be an effective leader. What if you took two weeks of vacation without telling your team? How long would they follow you? Not for long. Inconsistency will rob you of your team’s trust. 

5. Spending more than you make

This will kill you as a leader. It’ll make you desperate, and a desperate leader is not a good leader. You’ll make bad decisions and choices and even engage in bad behavior or connect with bad people. Keep yourself in a position of strength, not a position of weakness.

6. Stealing

If you steal other people’s team members, you’ll lose respect. People won’t follow or listen to you. Don’t steal people from other companies either. If someone’s happy where they are, don’t try to make them unhappy so that they’ll join you. Decide to be a builder and not a destroyer. Do things with integrity.

7. Sleeping Around

If you want to be a leader, there is a price of entry – trust, respect and belief. Whether you are single or married and in a bad relationship, don’t do it. Everyone will find out. One mistake can destroy your reputation. If this becomes a pattern you can say good-bye to leadership. It’s possible to find love in Network Marketing but just realize the risk you are taking if you become a player. 

8.  Addiction

You shouldn’t drink or use illegal substances to the point that it’s obvious. If you have a problem, don’t let it show at your company party or let your team see it. Deal with your demons somewhere else. Don’t mix them with your business. Your team and others will lose respect for you. 

9. Ego

If it’s all about you all the time, if you hog the stage and have to do all the presentations and trainings, potentially good leaders will leave you. If they don’t get enough oxygen, sunlight and attention and don’t see a path to becoming a leader, they won’t hang around. 

10. Success Coma

This is when you stop doing what got you to a certain level and just go through the motions. You show up at the event, sign autographs and take selfies, but you aren’t doing what you did to get where you are. When you do this you lose respect. Sometimes you don’t even realize that you’re doing it so it’s important to take inventory of your activity. 

Remember, do the opposite of these Deadly Sins of Network Marketing to become (and stay) a leader.