THE CORE IDEA
Give people a bearing so they can stay on course.
A tugboat pulls a ship. A lighthouse gives many ships a point of reference at the same time. Each ship steers itself. In network marketing, this is the difference between a leader who constantly has to pull the team along and one who helps people build their own businesses and lead independently.
When commitment creates dependence
The tugboat works tirelessly, pitches in and is always on hand. In business, this kind of leader takes on every challenge, solves every problem and keeps a hand in everything. It feels like commitment. Once the team gets used to it, support turns into micromanagement.
It is easy to miss in everyday work. You answer the same question in three private chats, correct every invitation and step in when a conversation stalls. The team moves forward in the short term. Over time, people mainly learn when to ask you. When you are unavailable or the team grows, your time becomes the limit.
What a lighthouse makes possible
A lighthouse stands firm and sends a signal many people can rely on at once. In leadership, that signal is a clear direction, consistent standards and behaviour others can see. With that guidance, people can choose their own next step and later show someone else how it is done.
That also changes how you measure your contribution. Alongside the immediate result, look at which tasks and decisions others now handle independently. You can see this especially clearly when someone passes on a skill they learned from you.
01 / LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE
Five practices for everyday leadership
1. Set a clear vision
Describe where the team is going and what progress looks like in daily work. In onboarding, that might mean your new business partner understands how a first conversation works and can agree on a next step independently. A clear vision helps people make decisions even when you are unavailable.
2. Build trust and independence
Hand over responsibility gradually. Demonstrate the first conversation. In the next one, your business partner takes part of the lead. Then they lead the conversation and you discuss what worked. Agree beforehand which decisions they can make independently and when to bring you in.
3. Provide tools and resources
Put the tools where people need them. A conversation guide, a good example and a clear point of contact for questions may be enough to get started. Ask your business partner to explain the process in their own words and try it. That shows you where more support is needed.
4. Make progress visible
Recognise specific progress as well as the result. Someone who leads a conversation independently for the first time, listens closely and agrees on a suitable next step has learned something they can repeat. Name the behaviour precisely so they know what to build on.
5. Model the behaviour
Your team takes its cues from how you work. If you expect people to keep commitments, keep yours. If you want people to take responsibility, give them room in the conversation and let them explain their own decisions. This makes your standard visible in practice.
02 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Hand over a task fully
Choose a recurring task your team waits for you to do. One example is supporting your new business partner during their first introductory conversation. Today you often lead it yourself. Next time, your new business partner prepares it, leads it and agrees on a suitable next step with the person who is interested.
Before the conversation
Agree on what a good conversation looks like. The interested person understands the offer, can ask questions and freely decides on their next step. Discuss what material your business partner can use and when to ask for support.
During the conversation
Your business partner leads. If you are there, let them guide and close the conversation as agreed. If a question comes up that needs checking, they can arrange to follow up themselves. They remain responsible for the conversation.
After the conversation
Ask for their assessment first. Which question helped? Where did the process become unclear? What would they change next time? Add one concrete piece of feedback and agree on the next run. Once they are comfortable with the process, they can show it to someone else.
The question for this week
Where are you still acting as the tugboat? Which task only moves because you push it? Identify who can take it over and schedule a first run together. Afterwards, agree on which part they can already own independently the next time.
Based on “The Lighthouse Leader”, a keynote by Dr. Sven Goebel at the Zinzino Annual Event 2024 in Oslo.