Lead , Follow or Get Out of the Way

Posted on December 23, 2007
Filed Under Starting your Online Business

I am in a leadership position at my job for the US Government. No it’s not all that, I work for the Dept of Homeland Security. That is about all I can tell you, or I will be looking for another job. I work diligently on my business’s each day when not at my day job, so that perhaps I can work myself into a position to leave it on my own terms. Until then, they get everything I have for the hours that I am paid. Actually I make decent money; it’s just that my heart lies elsewhere.

I am asked frequently how I motivate people to achieve and reach their potential. The answer is I cannot motivate anyone and neither can you. Motivation is something we are all born with to some degree or measure, albeit most seem to have skipped that line at the character window. Most would rather follow or try to follow in someone else’s footsteps and try to catch a bit of overflow from their success. So Don where are you gong with this? It’s coming.

What if I told you I make money by telling you how much money I make? Sound familiar? No, that’s not my line; you know that, but let’s examine it closer, shall we? This person is telling you that he makes money, by telling people (you) how much money he makes. Is he telling the truth? He damn sure is, and the lemmings are following him right off the cliff, but not before your pockets have been purged of some of your folding paper. Starting to feel me now? It is beyond my reasonable comprehension how these pied pipers of blogging can consistently, pick dollar bills off people, like a grove worker picks oranges here in the sunshine state. Guess what, they always will. Just as there is always fish in the sea to catch, there will always be suckers begging to be suckered. Hitting close to home? The shepherd taps his mighty keyboard with promises of wealth, financial independence, and happiness. Do you know that shepherds use any trick the can to get their flocks to move from point A to point B. Do you also know that sheep are frequently thought of as extremely stupid animals? In this case it doesn’t even take a real shepherd.

Do you also know that the world is starving for real shepherds? Leaders. I am often asked ,Don I want to be a supervisor, can you help me? Fair enough statement; until I ask them one question. Its really very simple . Why? That’s usually followed by some stuttering mumbo jumbo about being a leader, having always been a leader, and they think they would make a good supervisor. Most of the time I reply by asking a question or two. So, it sounds like you think you’re a leader,;oh yes sir I am . Perfect, and here is where all but a few are stopped dead in their tracks. So tell me young man , young lady, exactly who is following you? Silence, dead silence. You see most people really are followers and that’s fine, as long as they know who they are.. What is troubling is when they think they are and aren’t.

Jim Rome has a very popular radio show. He is witty , controversial and always entertaining, His following s huge. He even has a name for his followers. Clones. What I see many doing is trying become clones of some of these overrated big blogs; and you know what is gong to change that? Not a damn thing. Their view of the blogging world or the internet was formed long before they found the make money online niche. They came to the market place already sold on the idea of making money online and they are not willing to flex their style or belief system. Nice having sold your customer before they get to your store isn’t it?

Our world has lost touch with unique, and perhaps that is not all of our own doing. We are taught to find someone successful and copy them. And copy them they do, by the thousands. So where does that leave you? What is unique about you? Think its easy to make money online? Caroline Middlebrook burst on to the scene this past summer. Her blog is popular and heavily visited each day. Although going through some personal difficulties right now, she admits making money in sales very challenging. Don’t tell her I said so, but her talent is not in a make money niche. She connects with people, but she doesn’t know how to monetize that. Why? Because that niche is not where she is unique.

I have admitted to you on several occasions, I too tried the money making niche. I failed to produce a single dollar until I decided I needed to change my direction. Almost overnight, I started making money. I have to impact people in whatever I do. It is in my blood , cant change it, and have committed to stop tying. 40% of people will like what you do, 40% will not , the rest can get out of the way. Will my impact be as big as some of the big blogs who claim to make money? Don’t know and don’t care, I am doing what I love and loving what I do. How about you?

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8 Responses to “Lead , Follow or Get Out of the Way”

bloggingzoom.com on December 23rd, 2007 1:16 pm

Lead , Follow or Get Out of the Way : Making Sales Making Money…

I am troubled by the masses of people who think they can put a blog on and make more money than they can count. Many just follow others almost as if they are in cult. Court spoke to this yesterday in the interview and its so true. I want to encourage e…
Mike on December 23rd, 2007 5:22 pm

What is it that you love? Your blogging here or something else?
Blogging is a great medium as are books, movies, magazines, albums, canvas, stone, wood, and clay. What is it that we want to create and what are the appropriate media? That’s a life quest.
Don on December 23rd, 2007 5:26 pm

I love blogging , it has given me the platform to share my experience and develop other potential entrepreneur’s . The day job will go away eventually, but there is more to do than the make money online niche, a lot more, see previous posts
Sol Lederman on December 24th, 2007 10:08 pm

Don,

Your post struck a chord with me. I’m doing what I love, sharing my passion about Math with a couple of hundred RSS subscribers and whoever stops to visit. I mentor a couple of students in Math, for free. I’m committed to making a living on the Internet through blogging, other web-based ventures, and other opportunities that I can find and create to monetize my work. But, the passion (the calling) comes first. Sometimes I wish I had picked the “make money online” niche because so many revenue opportunities seem to exist there but I do get how ultra-competitive it is. But the truth, the deep down truth, is that I didn’t pick Math. It picked me. It’s my muse. So, I listen to it and I deepen the intent every single day that I will successfully monetize this venture to make a comfortable living from it. And I will. And it’ll be with integrity and not with spammy or scammy ventures.

I appreciate your commitment to treating your readers right.

Merry Christmas!
Caroline Middlebrook on December 25th, 2007 6:24 am

Lovely post Don, I do hope I find my niche soon Have a wonderful Christmas.
Robert @ reason4smile on December 26th, 2007 12:03 am

Don, I loved this quote from Jack Welch

“Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. After you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

If we have no follower yet, we have to improve ourselves, and one of them is by following our leader.

Great article!
Don on December 27th, 2007 1:11 am

Caroline, its about time you stopped by, your ability to connect with people is your strength, use it.

Robert , I think we have similar interests, we need to talk more about them

Sol, I write frequently about working with passion, I cannot think of a better example of working with ones passion than you,
Vic on December 27th, 2007 4:16 pm

I forgot to stop by and leave a comment. Great post Don. Happy Holidays buddy from Blogging Zoom.

Got my Zoom

Vic