In every financial advisor’s career, a defining question eventually arises:
“Should I move up and build my own team?”
It’s a question loaded with both excitement and uncertainty. After years of mastering client relationships, closing policies, and achieving personal milestones, perhaps even MDRT-level performance, you begin to wonder if it’s time to multiply your success through others.
But here’s the caveat:
Being a great salesman does not automatically make you a great manager.
The Shift from Personal Success to Team Success
As an advisor, your success depends on your own effort.
You control your schedule, your clients, and your results.
As a manager, however, your success depends on others.
You shift from “I produce” to “I develop producers.”
That’s not an easy transformation.
It requires patience, empathy, and the ability to coach, not just close.
Ben Feldman, one of the greatest life insurance salesmen in history, once said:
“Don’t sell life insurance. Sell what life insurance can do.”
The same wisdom applies in management:
Don’t just recruit advisors. Sell them on what becoming a professional advisor can do for their lives.
A manager’s true power lies in inspiring purpose, helping new advisors see meaning beyond commissions.
The Right Time to Move Up
You might be ready to move into management if:
- You’ve achieved consistent personal production (e.g., MDRT or company’s top club level) and want new challenges.
- You find joy in mentoring, you naturally guide new agents, even without being asked.
- You have financial reserves to sustain a slower income phase during your transition.
- You’re motivated by legacy, not just personal gain.
- You understand systems, recruiting, training, monitoring KPIs, and building culture.
If you’re only moving up for recognition or a title, pause. Leadership without purpose quickly burns out.
Jim Rohn once said:
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; kind, but not weak; bold but not bully; thoughtful, but not lazy.”
Management requires maturity, a balance between driving results and nurturing people.
Building a Legacy vs. Building a Downline
Many advisors jump into management thinking it’s just about “building a downline.”
But the real goal is building a legacy.
You’re not just multiplying numbers, you’re shaping careers, transforming families, and creating leaders who will outlast you.
That’s the difference between being a sales unit head and becoming a true agency builder.
As the legendary Albert Gray said in his classic speech “The Common Denominator of Success”:
“The common denominator of success, the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful, lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do.”
In management, those “things” include consistent coaching, giving feedback, and sometimes making tough decisions for the good of the team.
Final Thoughts: The Call to Multiply
If you’re thinking of moving up, do it for the right reasons:
- To multiply your impact
- To develop others
- To create something that outlives your personal sales record
Leadership in life insurance is not about power; it’s about purpose.
And purpose, when multiplied, changes lives.
So before you say “yes” to management, ask yourself:
“Am I ready to trade personal production for people development?”
If the answer is yes, then you’re not just climbing up,
you’re lifting others with you.
all the best my friends!!
#acgadvice
