Why I Like the Mess

Today I’m participating in The NINES, an online leadership conference hosted by Leadership Network, featuring tons of amazing speakers.  I’m honored to be a part and super excited about what I’m going to be sharing.

(By the way, it’s not too late to register – and it’s FREE!  Jump over here to get yourself signed up and then tune in with us at 10:30 CST.  Hint: you’ll want to tune in on time to catch me.)

Today at The NINES I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on what I believe is foundational to being a great leader.  It’s what I call “Leading in Shades of Grey”.

Here’s just a snippet of what I’ll be sharing today…

Leadership is messy.

I think one of the most challenging things about leadership is that most times things are not clearly black and white… answers are not always obvious… making decisions is not easy.

And you know what?  I like that.

I like the mess because it’s what leadership is all about.

If things were always black & white, leadership would be easy and… dare I say, perhaps not even necessary.

Leadership is grey… sometimes many shades of grey.

Good leaders lead through the grey. They don’t get lost in it.  They don’t get bogged down by it.  They push through it to find clarity.

Good leaders give hope to a grey existence. They offer hope through grey circumstances.  They are aware of how unsettling greyness is to the team and they continue to motivate and encourage them through the process.

Deciphering the grey is not an exact science.  It’s as easy to get wrong as it is to get right… and you’re not always going to get it right.  It takes guts, courage, intuition, discernment, and prayer.  It takes energy, patience, hope and determination.  Leaders step up to help make decisions and to guide the way, especially when things are messy…

…and grey.

Are you facing some grey areas in your leadership?  What can you do to push through the grey?

By the way… will you be joining us today for The NINES?