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Entrepreneur Insights
Passive income starts with a good team
Financial success is built one connection at a time
Darnell Self
Darnell Self
Million Dollar Earner
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Turn your good team into a great team by building an amazing culture.

Honesty is still the best policy.

On winning teams, trust is non-negotiable. When mistakes are made, it’s important to take full responsibility and apologize quickly. When I first started building a sales team, I was not in a good financial position. I never lied about my income — I simply painted the vision of where I was headed and told stories of those who had gone before me. The team was attracted to both my vulnerability and my vision.

Recognition is the flame that lights the path to the finish line.

As a team, it’s important to celebrate all wins in private and public. Spread the love. Allow others to shine regardless of any hierarchy. Find ways to give credit when accolades are given to you.

Build relationships and make connections.

Get to know your team. Listen to their life challenges and remem­ber to ask about them the next time you communicate with them. Connect teammates with other team­mates who have things in common (family dynamics, education, geo­graphy, careers, motivations).

Create a winning environment.

We should want more for people than we want from people. We should share all of our best practices as well as our pitfalls with our team. If we are not confident with sharing and coaching, we should never allow our ego to prevent us from positioning our team to learn from those better than us.

Take one for the team.

To whom much is given, much is required. Make sure we are willing to make the same sacrifices we are asking our team to make. Or at least be able to share our testimony from when we did make those sacrifices. Sometimes we may have to go last, eat last, give the last ticket to our team.

Invest in your team.

Make time for culture-building events — games, parties, sporting events, trips and vacations, dinner, playing cards and cookouts.

Be loyal.

If the team confides in you, keep it safe. Don’t waver in your commitment to the team and the vision. We must do what’s best for the team over what’s best for us.