“The phone rings . It’s a cop. First thing he says is…”

“The phone rings. It’s a cop. First thing he says is, ‘Does [Name] work for you?’ That’s when I knew I had lost control of my culture.”

You Don’t Attract Who You Want, You Attract Who You Are

Million Dollar Team Principles #53
You can’t complain about your agents without looking in the mirror.
If you want better people on your team, you need to become better yourself.

That’s not motivational fluff, it’s leadership law.

BTW – If you are complaining about your people’s lack of action behind their backs, what do you think they are saying about you?

I don’t talk bad about anyone on my team behind their backs because that is not the type of person I want on my team.

Mirror effect.

I do say great things about my team behind their backs.
They eventually find out and learn what I value most.

They in turn will speak highly of me behind my back,to clients, community members, and outside agents.

Every team is a mirror, and it reflects the one thing that sets the tone, pace, and culture more than anything else:
the leader.

“Your income right now is a result of your standards. It is not the industry, it is not the economy.”
– Tony Robbins

In 2014, I was leading a growing real estate team, and the culture we created was what you might call:

“work hard, play hard.”

It sounded edgy and appealing at the time.
I posted pictures skiing with a beer in hand at the lodge.

We ran sales contests where winners were rewarded with winery trips, happy hours, and even Vegas weekends.

We had fun.
A lot of fun.
Too much fun.

But here’s the kicker:
I attracted exactly who I was in that moment.

• One day, I found an agent with a mini-fridge full of beer under his desk.
  
• Another time, an agent threw a party in the office after hours.
  

Cops were called.
The building was shut down.
It was chaos.

And I realized…
I had built a team in my image,the image of someone trying to escape something, not build something.

I knew something had to change.

And it wasn’t them,it was me.

On June 5th, 2017, I had my last drink.

I made a decision that would change everything:

• To live with clarity
  
• To commit to excellence
  
• To hold myself to a higher physical and mental standard
  

I leaned into wellness, purpose, and performance.
I started training like an athlete.

No more alcohol.
No more distractions.
Just focus and freedom.

Today, eight years later, I’m a competitive Category 1 mountain bike racer.
At 44, I’m in the best shape of my life.

But the real win isn’t in my FTP…
It’s in my team.

If you walk into my office now, you’ll see something different:

• Energy
  
• Discipline
  
• Confidence
  

Our people eat clean.
They hike, bike, paddle, and live with intention.

We’ve created a culture of health and excellence.

Not because I told them to.
But because I showed them how.

“The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more.”
– Charlie Munger

You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.

If your agents are:

• Complaining
  
• Disorganized
  
• Inconsistent
  
• Undisciplined
  

Look in the mirror.
That’s who you’re modeling.
That’s who you’re magnetizing.

If you want stronger performers, raise your standards.
If you want people who grind, grind harder.
If you want ethical, reliable, proactive professionals, become one to your core.

“A company is just a group of people who are gathered together to create a product or service.
And the quality of the company is the quality of the people and how well they are led.”
– Elon Musk

You want to grow your sales team? Start by growing you.

You can’t pour from an empty cup,
and you can’t scale a team past your own personal development ceiling.

The books you read.
The habits you keep.
The way you fuel your body.
The way you talk to yourself.
The things you do when no one is watching…

That’s what creates culture.
That’s what builds teams.

And that’s why,if you’re not happy with your results,
It’s not your market. It’s your mirror.

If this post hit home, you’re not alone.
This is #53 in my weekly series called Million Dollar Team Principles.

If you got value from this, go to my profile and read the rest.
I publish one every week for real estate team leaders who want to grow bigger, stronger, and more profitable organizations,starting with themselves.