• Leaders: Taking Risks #12
Leadership: Taking Risks
Taking risks in leadership can be portrayed as reckless abandon, thoughtless, and impetuous decision making that involves danger. However, risk taking that is thoughtful, calculated and purposeful with due consideration to the amount of risk, is to be preferred option. All change involves some risk.
However, only doing what is safe, doing only what is in your comfort zone, might just keep you from trying anything new. Being willing to try to raise the bar, to do a new thing can help us move forward. Maintaining the status quo might have no risk at all. Growth, almost by definition, requires expansion, movement and progression. Without anything new we could just be doing the minimum, just getting by. That could be done, without any risk at all.
I think we must really see the value of risk. Risk, not for just risk sake, but risk that is both calculated and purposeful. We lead by our willingness to try something that might work. It is not “all or nothing.” It is effort, which can be rather experimental in nature. Taking a series of smaller risk moves, can prepare you for a larger calculated risk. This is a better leadership position, and is to be emulated.
Can you discern the degree of risk involved in the following phrases?
- Playing it safe
- Being on the edge
- Jumping off a cliff
- All or nothing, stop or go?
- All out, forget the consequences
- Helter-skelter, hasty actions
- Guarded against failure
- Resting on your laurels
- Reckless abandonment
- Let it all out, without regard
- Being afraid to fail
- Cautious, careful and timid
- Like a gold fish out of water
- Going beyond your comfort zone
- Trying something new
- Pushing the limits.
- Fear of the unknown
Here are some things to consider before taking
risks in leadership.
1. Do your homework first. Take counsel to get perspective.
2. The quicker you do something, without preparation, the greater the risk.
3. Do things that will minimize the degree of risk.
4. Consider the down side for failure and the upside for success.
5. Sometimes the decision is easy, but the consequences are very difficult.
6. When doing something new, what back up systems are in place, should the risk be greater than anticipated?
7. Impulsive decisions are not always right, good or recommended
8. A calculated risk is better than an impulsive risk. Consider consequences.
9. The same risk just might be different for different people.
10. Waiting too long might increase a bad risk or mitigate the risk.
11. Consider your options. Take counsel. Any skills required? Any lessons to be learn here?
12. Any recommendations? Is there a willingness to try? Is anyone around that might loan you some confidence?
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