Welcome to this edition of Adam Ginsberg's "Insiders" Newsletter. Each issue is designed to provide you with insights, tips, secrets and overall strategies on how you can build your online auctions business. I'm sure you love this issue! This week will give you some insight into developing leadership skills. Also, be sure to check Adam's Blog for the latest in money making news online!

Using Leadership Skills to Build Your Online Business 

"I think it's very difficult to lead today when people are not really truly participating in the decision. You won't be able to attract and retain great people if they don't feel like they are part of the authorship of the strategy and the authorship of the really critical issues. If you don't give people an opportunity to really be engaged, they won't stay."

Lessons From the Top: The Search for America's Best Business Leaders, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks

As an entrepreneur with, someday with employees, how can you use well-known and recognized “offline” leadership skills to build, grow, and prosper in your online money making ventures? What leadership skills does it take to be successful to make money online with your own online home business? In this newsletter issue we’ll explore the five key traits that will help you become the kind of leader necessary to truly be successful when selling on the Internet.

Key Trait #1: You must have a vision.

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying: “You must stand for something, or you'll fall for everything." But what does that really mean? Standing firm when it comes to your company's policies and procedures is all well and good, but it doesn't speak to having a vision. As a leader, you have to learn to communicate your vision or the vision of your company right on your website or your eBay listings…But how can you do that?

• Learn to paint a picture with words. Speak it, write it, draw it, touch it. Whatever methods you can use to create a picture, do it. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
• What is your vision of your business? Are you too engaged in the business on a day-to-day basis to grow the business? Is your team (family, friends, co-workers) on the same page as you?
• As you learn and work towards your goal, your company's vision should be in your mind every day, and you should reevaluate it occasionally so that it stays current with the changing times in which we live. And remember, this vision needs to be represented for people to see, for example on your eBay About Me page. Involve your customers in your vision.

Editor's Note: Thank You for making "How to Buy, Sell & Profit on ebay" the #1 selling eBay book of All-Time! If you have not gotten your copy, you can start to Make Money Online by stopping by Amazon...

Key Trait #2: You must have passion.

What is your passion? What drives you? What motivates you? What pushes you to the limits to achieve your goals? When you are on a mission – with passion - you'll go to the ends of earth because of it, live and die for it.

Think of the sailors who traveled with Christopher Columbus or Leif Ericsson to explore uncharted territory. Their leaders' passion inspired them to take on new and very dangerous challenges.

To build an extraordinary business, you've got to have "fire in your belly," to feel passionate about your business and your vision. Passion is such a key part of being a great leader that if you don't have it, you simply can't be a great leader. Think of all the great leaders throughout the ages and try to name one that did not have passion.

And passion is infectious: When you talk about your vision for the company, let your passion for your vision shine through. This will come across in your listings. Potential customers will see it and feel it and want to get on board with you. It will help you stand out from the crowd other others selling similar or the same products. If you don't have passion for your vision, you need to recreate your vision or reframe your description of your vision so it's connected to your passion.

Key Trait #3: You must learn to be a great decision maker.

How are major decisions made in your business? What is your process for making them? For instance, do you talk to people, get their opinions and then create a list of pros and cons to help you make the best decision? Maybe you conduct a cost analysis. Or do you create a timeline for the implementation strategy, process and timing?

Is your business already making money online?

Some leaders have a set process, and others fly by the seat of their pants. But you don't want to be one of those leaders who consults no one before making a decision, announces the change the next day and then gets frustrated when no one follows it. If you're one of those, I urge you to implement a set process.

In fact, here's a system you can use to become a better decision maker. It's called the Q-CAT:

• Q = Quick. Be quick but not hasty.
• C = Committed. Be committed to your decision but not rigid.
• A = Analytical. Be analytical, but don't over-analyze (Too much analysis can cause paralysis.)
• T = Thoughtful. Be thoughtful about all concerned, but don't be obsessive.

When you use the Q-CAT, it'll help you to decide when to bring others into the process and what steps need to be taken to help you make better decisions.

Another key is to have a mentor or coach – someone that has experience and can provide you with valuable insights into the decision making process. Even the greatest athletes, Tiger Woods for example, have a coach.

Key Trait #4: You must be a team builder.

To become a great leader, you must develop a great team or, one might say, a well-oiled machine. But how do you do that? To take your business to new levels you simply can’t do it all on your own. Start by bringing on a customer service person. Hand off responsibility to your new team member and letting him/her to run with it. Don't breathe down their necks and don't micromanage, but make yourself available if questions or problems come up. As you build your team, teach them to use the Q-CAT decision-making system and give them the freedom to work through their own decisions.

When projects aren't on track or your team is falling behind on deadline, it serves no one if you start pointing fingers. This is when you need to rise to the occasion and inspire confidence in your employees, to let them know you support them and ready to help. Be ready to alter plans and make new ones. Don't forget to use humor to keep your team's spirits up during a crisis. When an emergency hits, your team will look to you to be a tower of strength and endurance.

Key Trait #5: You must have character.

Without character, all the other "keys" are for naught. That's because your innate character strengths and limitations play a critical role in your leadership style. The real question is, are you aware of just what role they play? All great leaders have taken steps to learn about their individual personality and what part it plays in their leadership style.

So what's your leadership style? If you don't know, there are many leadership style assessments available on the market. Two popular ones that have been around for many years are the Myers-Briggs assessment and the "360-Degree Feedback" model. There are dozens of other to choose from--the important part is that you "Just do it," as the Nike ad would say, and see how you rate. It's a good way to do a "character check" on yourself and your leadership skills.

Then, once you've done the assessment, the question to ask yourself is, do you feel your character matches what the assessments are pointing out to you?

If you feel the traits don't match who you think you are, then look a little deeper and be honest with yourself. Sometimes our first response is defensive. You might want to assess yourself with a different type of profile and then compare the results. Within the 360 Degree Feedback model, there's an opportunity to see how your employees and peers view you, too. In learning to be a great leader, the first step is to be open to feedback about yourself as a leader and separate it from you the person.

So are you a great leader? Or do you have the desire to become one? Remember, a great leader is someone who has a clear vision and can turn that vision into a vivid picture that others can see. When you speak about your vision, it should be with a passion you feel in your heart, a passion that creates so much enthusiasm that your team will want to jump on board. When major decisions need to be made, you should encourage everyone to use the Q-CAT system and be responsible for his or her own actions. And you should be continually assessing your own character and never stop growing, personally or professionally.

If you can apply the five keys to great leadership within your business, you'll be well on your way to becoming a great leader and achieve incredible success online!

Until the next issue...

Knowing No Boundaries

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