Friday, July 18, 2008
The Essence of Risk
I regularly schedule “Adventure Days” either with friends or just by myself. The concept is simple - get in your car, pick a direction to drive, stow away your map, stay off major highways, and set out to see where the road leads and who you will meet on that road. I’ve come across the most spectacular scenery, met interesting people outside my normal circle of influence, and - once - managed to “find” the Mouse Haus Cheese Haus in Madison, Wisconsin for an hour. Don’t ask...all roads led to the same place and I had to break the rule of staying off major highways!
The idea of Adventure Day happened about 8 years ago when I felt myself getting into a rut—the same job, the same neighbors, the same stores, the same way of thinking. You get the idea. Then, something dramatic happened—my brother, Craig, died in a plane crash. We all have defining moments in our lives which shake us up, and we all have a choice on how we react in those situations. I realized with Craig’s passing it was the perfect time to embrace whatever is your journey (good, bad, or indifferent) and truly experience life.
Adventure and Risk go together. Bob Boylan in his book, Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction, states “Through risk, we gain a perspective on what it means to be alive, to try new things, to challenge, to accept the possibility of failure as well as success.”
How is this important to you as a leader? He goes on to say, “Leaders find it easy to risk because their commitment to the vision is so strong, and so clear to them. It’s already theirs. That’s why they sometimes don’t even see the specific tactic or strategy as risky.”
Do you find it easy to risk? Or, are you risk adverse? If you are risk adverse, go back and look at your vision and ask yourself if it is one to which you are totally committed. The reason you want to risk is to change (great for growing your team and business) and it’s stimulating (allows for creativity and possibilities).
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie