Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different hobbies while looking for a creative outlet. I started with crocheting in high school. I made a hot pink and purple afghan. Then, I went on to needlepoint. I have some lovely shells hanging in one of the bathrooms that I finished in the ‘80s. I failed at knitting. The sweater vest that I made wouldn’t fit over my head. I had the year of baskets in the ‘90s. I’ve tried drawing, but I still haven’t found my thing.
However, that doesn’t keep me from continuing to try new things. Right now, I have a bag of floss and a book on freestyle embroidery that are waiting for me to begin. The point is that I will never find the thing I love doing if I don’t keep experimenting. The battle cry is “Give it a shot!” If I don’t like it, it’s not a failure. I just don’t like it!
A friend called to tell me that a man was showing interest in her. He was recently out of another relationship, and she didn’t feel he was over it. She decided to give the relationship a shot, knowing that it might not work out. In the end, it didn’t, and she was disappointed, but not regretful over a missed opportunity. When we give something a chance, there is always the possibility that it won’t work out, but that’s okay. There is also always the possibility that it will.
Great leaders are bold, and they often live by the maxim “Give it a shot!” “It” could be a new process or procedure. “It” could be a new job or entering a new target market. Of course, great leaders do research, but it’s hard to know with 100% accuracy what will work. Sometimes, we just have to give it a shot.
The key to trying new things is jumping in wholeheartedly – whether it’s knitting, an advertising campaign, or a relationship. It’s only a failure if we don’t give it our all. Failure for lack of trying and commitment is failure. Otherwise, it’s just a learning experience.
What new thing can you try out? Maybe it’s a new look or a new way to prepare chicken! Perhaps a more authoritative way to communicate might be worth a try. You might love painting! Look around in your heart for something that sounds interesting or compelling and give it a shot! It’s great practice for the bigger leadership opportunities that are sure to come your way.
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You are such a great writer! It’s so true that trying something, even when you’re not sure it will work out, is a great mark of a leader. You’ve caused me to think back over my successes – personal and professional and they really started with ‘giving it a shot’. What’s even more interesting is that the ‘failures’ and things didn’t go like I wanted/expected weren’t so bad after all when I came from the giving-it-a-shot perspective because I learned something. Thanks for this persp drive Kathy!