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At the end of a company town hall, the butterflies in my stomach went on overdrive as I thought… “I should raise my hand and ask a question.”
My hands, knees… and even my voice were shaking as I started to share my story to a packed room of 50 people at an Asian Leadership event.
It was clear the manager I was speaking to didn’t think I belonged, but I asked about an open position in the new innovation group he was forming anyway.
All these moments… and so many more… were ones where I took a risk.
Taking risks is a key leadership skill.
It’s important for your personal growth… and also for business growth, which drives your career growth.
Risks allow innovation and creativity, skill development, building confidence, professional opportunities, and breakthrough achievements.
And yet… taking risks can be difficult. The brain actually tries to prevent you from taking risk because it is wired to keep you safe.
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
But there are ways to help overcome that wiring. Here are 7 that have helped me…
1/ Rename Risk
The word “risk” itself can cause unease. Think of it instead as an “experiment”. You have to try new things to see if they actually work.
This is the basis of innovation, creativity, and growth.
Thinking of risk as an experiment also gives the understanding that there is no final commitment. It’s just a try… a pilot.
This makes it easier to pivot if things don’t work out.
2/ Activate Your Imagination
Your imagination can help prepare you for the risk you’re about to take. Imagine the worst-case scenarios. Usually, this is something we want to avoid thinking about.
But when you are willing to face what can happen… you can benefit in a few ways:
- You see, the bad things aren’t actually that bad
- You can be better prepared
- If the bad happens, it’s actually less scary because you were ready for it
3/ Give Yourself More Options
When you only have one solution… you probably should feel worried about it. The good thing is, there is almost always more than one possible way forward.
Think of a set of options. Even if you are only pursuing one at a time, you have more to fall back on if it doesn’t work.
The more options you have, the greater the probability that at least one will work.
4/ Have Courage Not To Know
The need for certainty can hold you back. Breaking outside of your comfort zone requires feeling uncomfortable, uneasy, and even a bit scared.
Now… it doesn’t feel good.
But you can only be brave when you also have fear. It’s ok not to know how things will turn out. But you can have faith in yourself that you can figure it out along the way.
Even if things are fuzzy, you can adjust as you go.
5/ Don’t Confuse Risk With Gambling
Going on just a hunch is high risk. But having a hunch…
- And then thinking about it creatively.
- Exploring the possibilities, both good and bad.
- Gathering more information.
- Seeking out different perspectives.
- Doing the work and putting in critical thinking…
It’s no longer a hunch. It’s a built-out idea.
6/ Break It Down
When you think of EVERYTHING that needs to go into the final outcome – it can be intimidating.
Embrace risk more easily by breaking it down into smaller steps. The first step is often the most difficult. But when you break big things into smaller and smaller decisions…
This makes the risk smaller and smaller with each decision, enabling you to move forward with more ease and momentum.
7/ Embrace Good Enough
Don’t wait until everything is perfect… Because that will never happen.
Make decisions with imperfect information. Be prepared to course correct when new information becomes available.
Set decision deadlines.
Gather the information you can.
And then make that decision.
It’s time to take that risk you’ve been thinking about.
Go get it!
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
– T. S. Eliot
