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Thanks to Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements, we have guidelines to help both leaders and team members grow their mental resilience amidst challenges. 

Ask anyone what the most crucial element is for a team’s success, and you may get a wide spectrum of answers, but many would say “effective leadership.”  That means you! While there are thousands (or more) resources, books, blogs, podcasts, seminars, webinars and training of every kind on the topic, we wanted to take a page out of Don Miguel Ruiz’s extraordinary book, The Four Agreements.  

Ruiz, born into a family of healers and shamans, committed his life’s efforts to creating a philosophy that blends ancient Toltec wisdom with modern sensibilities. It focuses on understanding self-limiting thoughts and how they affect our ability to make decisions, both as individuals and as leaders. 

“That doesn’t sound like a business leadership book,” you might be thinking, and you’re right! It’s a book about living life, but every agreement outlined is something leaders need to follow to help their team thrive. 

Related reading: Optimize Your Agent’s Efforts by Keeping Them Focused on What They CAN Control 

The Four Agreements and How to Implement Them in Your Team 

We can apply these principles to real estate leadership to foster a culture of trust among team members, create a desire for excellence, and establishing heart-goals for your personal and professional growth. The neat thing is, these aren’t difficult concepts to master, and while their implementation might feel both simple and hard, it’s a matter of making the conscious decision to change your way of thinking (even if you have to make that decision every morning). 

One: Be Impeccable with Your Word. Good communication is paramount. Being impeccable with your word means more than just speaking truthfully; it encompasses integrity, reliability, and authenticity. As a leader, this agreement invites you to adopt the following: 

• Transparent Communication: Foster a culture of open and honest communication within your team. Encourage them to express themselves freely, share their concerns, and contribute their ideas. 
• Set Clear Expectations: Clearly articulate goals, expectations, and performance standards. This reduces confusion and sets a solid foundation for achieving success. 
• Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behavior you expect from your team members. By consistently honoring your commitments and promises, you build trust and credibility. 

Two: Don’t Take Anything Personally. Emotions often run high in this industry – deals may fall through, clients may become difficult, and team members may face challenges. Understanding that these situations are rarely personal (even if it feels like it) can be liberating. Here’s how to apply this agreement: 

• Maintain Emotional Resilience: Develop emotional intelligence to navigate through tough situations. Encourage your team to focus on solutions rather than dwelling on setbacks. 
• Empathy and Understanding: Recognize that everyone has their own pressures, concerns, and perspectives. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. 
• Constructive Feedback: Provide feedback in a constructive manner, emphasizing growth and improvement rather than blame or criticism. 

Related reading: Fellow – Why You Take Things Personally & How to Stop 

Three: Don’t Make Assumptions. Assumptions can lead to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and ultimately, lost deals. In real estate where clarity is key, this agreement holds immense value. Here’s how you can implement it: 

• Ask Questions: Encourage your team to seek clarification and gather all necessary information before making decisions or taking action. 
• Active Listening: Train yourself and your team to actively listen to clients, colleagues, and partners. This helps avoid misinterpretations and ensures that everyone is on the same page.  
• Documentation: Encourage thorough record-keeping and documentation to eliminate room for miscommunication or misunderstandings. 

Four: Always Do Your Best. The key that distinguishes exceptional leaders is their unwavering dedication and consistency in their tasks as they strive for excellence. Here’s how you can embody this agreement: 

• Continuous Learning and Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous learning and development. Encourage your team to seek out new knowledge, technologies, and strategies. 
• Adaptability and Innovation: Embrace change and encourage your team to be innovative in their approaches. This can lead to new opportunities and solutions. 
• Self-Care: Encourage a healthy work-life balance and emphasize the importance of self-care. A well-rested, mentally and physically healthy team is more likely to deliver exceptional results. 

The Takeaway 

By incorporating the Four Agreements into your leadership style, you can create a culture of trust, transparency, and high performance. Remember, these agreements are not rules, per se, but guiding principles that, when followed consistently, can lead to sustainable success. Embrace them and watch as they transform your leadership approach and your team’s achievements. 

For Your Agents… 

The Four Agreements aren’t just for leaders, however. We have an article that you can share with your team that explains how the Four Agreements can be implemented into their day-to-day activities. 

With a focus on prospecting, we walk agents through these concepts and how to apply them to leave the anxiety behind and start connecting with potential clients. 

Read Mastering Real Estate Prospecting by Applying The Four Agreements

Resources You Can Count On 

Know that agents do NOT have to go it alone in this market. Our goal is to bring the tools, training, and coaching each needs to not only survive the shifts – but build solid, dependable foundations they can count on and help them build clients for life. If that sounds like a goal that can help you reach YOUR goals – then join us for our Free Weekly Real Estate Webinar Training Series! Click below to register for the next one!

Darryl Davis is an award-winning international speaker, real estate and business coach, and best-selling author of three books, all published by McGraw Hill Publishers.  

For more than 35 years, Darryl has spoken to and trained more than 100,000 sales professionals around the globe to more than double their production year after year. His book, How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate, tops Amazon’s charts for one of the most sold books to real estate agents.  

He was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speaker’s Association which is given to less than 2% of all speakers worldwide.  

Whether from a stage or Zooming into a virtual room, Darryl’s extraordinary humor, relatability, and natural gift for teaching real-world, results-producing skills and mindsets to audiences have made him a client favorite throughout his career.  

Audiences will laugh, learn, and ultimately walk away better prepared for a changing world, with the tools, skills, and training they need to build their businesses with more ease and less stress and to design lives and careers worth smiling about.  

Bring One of Darryl’s W.O.R.K. Topics to Your Organization! 

By providing your agents with the knowledge and insights they need to stay ahead of the game, you can ensure that they are equipped to handle any situation that comes their way! Contact us here to learn more!