What is your purpose as a leader? Do you lead to teach, to take, to help, to win? Do you have a commitment to serving others and attracting your own success and abundance through this altruistic process? We all know that leadership is key in attraction marketing, but more than the status of leadership, it is 'how' we lead which is important.

Altruism is about being genuinely concerned about other people's needs and being prepared to give selflessly to help them. When you hear about servant leadership, this is it. Now before you start thinking that I am suggesting that you forget about your own needs and change your business into a charity organization, let me explain the concept of servant leadership.

Servant leadership was launched in the modern world by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 70's. His model is best explained through this quote:

"The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions..."

Primarily, servant leaders want to serve others by helping them fulfill their needs and experience personal growth.

"The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served." "Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?"

In order to lead and serve in the network marketing industry, business leaders must seek to provide a solution to help their followers and partners grow. Being a servant leader is a nurturing process where awareness, empathy, insight, invention, growth and kinship are fundamental. In developing these personal qualities and using them as the purpose for leadership, one is able to attract and serve others while promoting personal value and influence.

I felt so inspired when I found the 8 guiding principles to become a servant leader below (from the Alliance for Servant Leadership), and I am describing them below. These contain truly compelling messages for becoming an inspiring and empowering leader:

8 Principles for Servant Leadership:

1. Transformation: This is the vehicle for personal and community growth. Achieving one's potential through change, overcoming challenges, creativity, learning and introspection.

2. Personal Growth: The promotion of awareness and commitment to holistic growth, and the recognition that "the liberation of human potential is the cornerstone for success".

3. Enabling Environments: The creation of supportive environments which promote integrity, self-growth, productivity, and creativity.

4. Service: Becoming a leader in order to serve. Taking on leadership roles primarily for the purpose of serving and inspiring others.

5. Trusting Relationships: Using an inclusive and collaborative approach to building relationships. The servant leader seeks to create relationships based on integrity, reciprocity, trust and respect.

6. Creating Commitment: This is about inspiring and enabling others to commit to their own purpose and passion. The servant leader recognizes that people will only commit to and pursue goals which are aligned with their personal vision and mission.

7. Community Building: Building and participating in a community where people can trust each other and work together. This is about using a collaborative approach to duplicate success.

8. Nurturing the Spirit: The servant leader understands the inherent need of people to experience joy, fulfillment, and success. Through promoting personal growth, meaning, purpose, passion, vision, success and happiness, one can inspire others to achieve meaningful goals and thrive in the process.

Wow, doesn't this sound like a formidable approach to building a team of servant leaders and successful entrepreneurs under your mentorship? Can you see how, just through exhibiting such values and consistent leadership behaviors, you will build your status of influence, authority and inspiration amongst your network and within the industry?