Leaders are risk-takers. The risks they take aren’t off the cuff but rather well-thought-out calculated risks. They’ve pondered what could happen, would happen, and then act.
We need more leaders who are risk takers.
Photo by Loic Leray on Unsplash
Take The Risk
Vick Hope summed up risks quite well when they said:
Taking risks doesn’t mean shirking responsibility, but embracing possibilities.
Whoa… think about that for a minute. It goes right along with what I first wrote. There’s possibility in taking risks. You are acting toward something, not recklessly but with intention.
The founder of Mint, Aaron Patzer, said:
Turn a perceived risk into an asset.
Many times, we perceive something as a risk. The reality is that while there is a chance things could go wrong, there’s also the possibility of the risk becoming an asset. You learn, grow, and change every time you take a risk.
American The Father of Management, Peter Drucker, once said this about risk:
What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it is another matter.
Drucker understood the way to get things done was often simple. You make a choice, you follow the choice, and you complete the action. Boom. Yet, it’s also risky. What if it doesn’t work out? What if you fail? What if someone gets hurt in the process? You won’t know until you step into the risk and take action.
How Risks Lead To Success
Everything we do in life is a risk. From crossing the street to getting onto the airplane to eating out at your favorite restaurant. Each of those actions seems so simple. But they’re filled with risk.
You could get hit by a car crossing the street. The airplane could crash. You could choke on your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant.
While the risk may not be huge, the risk is still there. The same goes for the decisions you make as a leader. Each one carries a specific amount of risk.
As Drucker said, “Whether or not you’re willing to do something is another matter.” Risk, in the end, is the choice of whether or not to tackle a task. Whether or not you make a decision (even indecision, though, is a risk).
Every decision you make is a risk. Each time you move forward, into the risk, you take a step toward success.
You may face failure along the way. No risk is risk-free.
But when you fail… when you fall… when you get egg on your face, get back up. Choose to step into the next risk.
Whether it’s investing in new talent, choosing a new vendor, or closing the doors on your organization, it’s all risk.
You can’t be successful without taking a chance on the choices in front of you. Doing so may be the riskiest thing you’ve ever done.
