So here is grandchild Number 12. I love this picture because he looks like he is not sure if this is fun or not. His folks are just not afraid to let him get a little messy in order to gain a new experience.
Look at him. Doesn’t it make you smile? He isn’t sure if it is fun, tasty, or nasty. He is digging in and experiencing life at the fullest for a six month old.
When I saw it on my desktop this morning, I thought about how messy your leadership can get when you lead a direct selling team. At some point in your career you took phone calls at all hours (maybe you still do), you found yourself in the middle of some interpersonal conflict (the gooey kind), and you probably have said at least once, “This is not what I signed up for.”
Leading is messy. There are great joys and rewards, but it can be frustrating to work with lots of different people. You work with people like you and people who are not at all like you. Sometimes you have to make decisions that are for the good of your team and you aren’t popular. Sometimes you have to lead with vision when those around you are not willing to change. Some days you might feel like you have to start over and rebuild a team so you can find the next super star.
In it all, my advice is to dig in. Stick your hand in the experience and get messy. You won’t be perfect, buy life is not perfect. You will make mistakes, because all leaders make mistakes.
You will never know unless you get in and feel it and live it. I guarantee you will learn from it. You may find out you love it.
Who knows, someday they may let you hold the knife and carve your own masterpiece!
