Impact is my why.
After 18 years of building and mentoring in Norwex, along with decades of experience in financial planning, business ownership and nonprofit leadership, I have learned that good leadership is not measured by how many people need me. It is measured by whether the people around me are becoming more capable, more confident and better prepared to lead.
I need to know that my work matters in the lives of other people. Sometimes that means helping a new consultant keep going after her first no. Sometimes it means helping a leader stop carrying every responsibility herself and begin developing someone else. The situations change, but the goal does not: I want people to be stronger because of the work we do together.
My leadership philosophy has been shaped by my family, my faith, the farm where I grew up and the different kinds of work I have been trusted to do. Across all of those settings, I keep returning to the same responsibilities: do the work, tell the truth about what it takes, serve people well and help others become capable.
Leadership Begins With Responsibility
I grew up on a farm, where work was part of family life. Animals still needed care when we were tired. Chores still had to be finished when the weather was bad. Everyone contributed because the work mattered.
That upbringing gave me what my kids call a farm kid work ethic. I do not have to feel inspired before I begin. There are days when I simply tell myself, “Suzanne, just do your job,” and then I get started.
Leadership begins there. A leader models the work, follows through and takes responsibility when something needs to change. That does not mean doing everything personally or treating exhaustion as proof of commitment. It means being willing to ask of myself what I ask of other people.
I Measure Leadership by Impact
Income, titles and recognition can mark real progress, and I do not dismiss them. They are simply not enough to tell me whether I have led well. I also want to know what changed for the people around me.
- Is this person more capable than she was before?
- Does she understand why the work matters, not only which task to complete?
- Can she make sound decisions, recover from disappointment and help someone else grow?
Those questions keep leadership focused on people rather than ego. The most meaningful results often show up gradually: a consultant becomes willing to ask, a leader learns to give honest feedback, or someone who once needed constant reassurance begins guiding other people with confidence. That is impact.
Why 5 Percent Can Be Greater Than 35 Percent
One of the principles I am known for teaching is that 5% can be greater than 35%. It sounds like strange math until you understand that it is really a lesson about multiplication.
Personal sales pay a larger percentage on what I sell, but my time and personal capacity are limited. When I help another person grow, and she learns how to help someone else, the impact can reach farther than anything I could accomplish by myself. A smaller percentage connected to the work of a growing team can become greater than the larger percentage I earn only on my own effort.
This is not a shortcut and it is not about collecting names. Multiplication only works when leaders teach, support, communicate expectations and help people build real skills. The principle matters to me because developing people extends both the work and the good it can do.
My Goal Is to Develop Capable People
I care deeply about support, especially when someone is new. People need a place to ask questions, learn the business and receive honest feedback. But good support should reduce dependence over time, not create more of it.
My goal is not to have people ask me for every answer. I want them to learn how to use the tools available to them, find reliable information, think through options, solve problems and make decisions connected to their own goals. If every decision has to come through me, I have created a bottleneck rather than a leader.
That is what I want my mentorship to accomplish. I will teach, encourage and help someone think through a problem, but I will not take ownership of a business that belongs to her. The goal is for her to become strong enough to lead her own work with wisdom and integrity.
I also believe leaders should stay connected to the work they ask others to do. Personal customer conversations, follow-up, events and recruiting conversations keep a leader grounded. It is easier to teach clearly when I am still practicing the fundamentals myself.
Coachability and Consistency Matter More Than Polish
I have seen talented people struggle because they expected the business to be easy. I have also watched ordinary people become excellent leaders because they were humble enough to learn and willing to keep working.
Coachability does not mean following someone blindly or never having ideas of your own. It means listening, trying, adjusting and taking responsibility for the result. Natural ability can help, but it does not replace work ethic, humility or the willingness to receive feedback.
I am also less interested in polish than many people expect. A presentation that looks perfect can make a beginner think, I could never do that. I would rather be prepared, honest and imperfect enough that someone else can picture herself learning to do the work too.
Consistency is what gives all of this credibility. I have never built my business through flashiness. I built it by showing up, following up and continuing to do the basic work after the first excitement wore off. Good business systems and consistency make that steadiness easier to maintain, especially during busy seasons.
Rejection Is Part of the Work
Every consultant and every leader has to learn how to handle no. A declined invitation, a canceled party or a disappointing event can feel personal, especially in the beginning. Most of the time, it is simply part of finding the people who are ready.
That is why I sometimes use a 100 No’s challenge. Consultants track the no’s they receive while asking people to purchase, host or consider the business. They also notice the conversations, bookings, customers and new consultants they find along the way. The exercise turns no into evidence that they are taking action instead of evidence that they should stop.
I had a similar rule for myself after a difficult party or demonstration. I could be frustrated until I pulled into my driveway. Then it was time to reset, because the next opportunity deserved my best. That did not mean pretending I was never disappointed. It meant refusing to let one disappointing result decide what I did next.
Honest Leadership Sets Honest Expectations
I do not teach that business growth is effortless or that everyone receives the same result. Joining a business does not create success by itself. People bring different goals, available time, skills, circumstances and willingness to work.
I can provide mentoring, systems, feedback and support. I can help someone understand the work, identify priorities and make a plan. I cannot guarantee what another person’s business will produce, and I cannot do her work for her.
I would rather have someone understand the work before she begins than join because she was persuaded by hype. If you are evaluating Norwex, Consultant Opportunity Explained provides a practical look at the costs, compensation, work and questions worth considering.
Leadership Should Support Faith and Family
I do not believe business and family can be separated neatly. Business happens inside real life, alongside marriage, children, health, church, aging parents and ordinary responsibilities. I put faith and family before work on purpose, even though I genuinely love to work.
That is why I use the word work-life harmony instead of balance. Balance suggests that every part of life receives an equal share every day. Harmony allows the emphasis to change while the important parts continue working together according to our values.
Sustainable leadership requires boundaries. Leaders need to close the office when the workday ends and trust that they have done enough for that day. There are no microfiber emergencies. Very few things in this business require a leader to be available at every hour.
Healthy boundaries are not evidence that a leader cares less. They protect the relationships and energy that allow her to keep caring for the long term. I want the business to support the people it was intended to serve, not gradually crowd them out.
The Kind of Leader I Want to Be
Titles can mark growth and responsibility, but a title does not finish the work of becoming a leader. Leadership still requires service, honest conversations, personal activity and patience with people who are learning.
I want to be the kind of leader who helps people recognize that they matter, that they are capable and that their work can make an impact. I want to develop people who can think, decide, recover and eventually develop someone else.
That is the leadership I want to practice. It is the leadership I want to teach, and it is the kind of impact I hope continues beyond the work I can do personally.
Frequently Asked Questions About My Leadership Philosophy
How would you describe your leadership philosophy?
I believe leadership means doing the work, telling the truth about what it takes and helping other people become capable enough to lead without depending on me. I measure leadership by the impact it has on people, not only by personal achievement.
What does “Impact is my why” mean?
I need to know that my work matters in the lives of other people. Sometimes that means helping a consultant keep going after her first no. Sometimes it means helping a leader learn how to develop someone else.
Why do you teach that 5% can be greater than 35%?
Personal sales pay a larger percentage on what I sell, but my own time is limited. When I help another person grow and she learns to help someone else, the impact can reach farther than anything I could accomplish alone. The principle is about developing people, not collecting names.
Why does coachability matter?
Growth requires a willingness to listen, try, adjust and take responsibility. Coachability does not mean blind agreement. It means being humble enough to learn and honest enough to change when something is not working.
Why does consistency matter?
I have never built my business through flashiness. I built it by showing up, following up and continuing to do the basic work after the first excitement wore off. Consistency earns trust and gives a team something steady to follow.
What do you mean by developing capable people?
My goal is not to have people ask me for every answer. I want them to learn how to use tools, find reliable information, solve problems and make decisions connected to their own goals.
How does leadership connect to family business?
I want business to support my faith and family priorities, not crowd them out. That takes communication, boundaries and work-life harmony rather than trying to maintain perfect balance every day.
Do you guarantee leadership or business results?
No. I can provide mentoring, systems, feedback and support. I cannot guarantee what another person’s business will produce or do the work on her behalf.
Talk With Me
If this leadership philosophy sounds like the kind of support you are looking for, I would be glad to learn more about your goals and help you decide whether working together would be a good fit. Talk with me or explore the Norwex opportunity when you are ready.
Results vary in any business. I share from my personal experience, but no specific income, outcome, promotion, or business result is guaranteed.
