Last week I attended a business breakfast and when everyone was asked “what would you tell your younger self when you started out in your career or business?”, the resounding response was “just get out there and do it”.
So, risk – and that intangible fine line between taking the plunge compared with convincing yourself not to do something.
Being a bit of a Jason Statham fan (we all have our guilty pleasures…), I was watching The Mechanic the other night and one quote which stuck in mind was “good judgment comes from experience and experience from bad judgment”.
And it’s these bad judgments or negative experiences that prevent so many of us from ‘just getting out there and doing it’ - whatever the ‘it’ is for you. It seems to be the standout trait that we hear about time again that separates the achievers from the also-rans; the ability to take the hits, adapt and evolve stronger.
When I wrote my last newsletter, Dakar Team GB had just set out on one of the greatest challenges known to man (in my humble opinion anyway). They’re all back safe and sound - a stupendous achievement, especially for Toby Younger who had entered the Dakar for the first time and finished, got a medal.
What an inspiration. He took the risks that others wouldn’t – not only life and limb but also that slightly more indefinable element around mindset and getting out there and going for it, come what may.
Extraordinary things can happen when we take the risk, embrace the mindset and become alert to the potentially life changing opportunities that may lie ahead.
There are no guarantees of success. But things will most definitely ‘happen’ and the world will look a little different.
So, if risk is the currency of progress, what will you spend yours on today? From working with boards and senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies, through to some of the most innovative and creative SMEs, I’ve seen first hand that risk taking pays off; new territories, products, people, ideas, experiences, luck… profits.
On a more ephemeral note, another quote from the movie - “listen to your heart, it may be homesick for somewhere you’ve never been”.
Be it a new role, product, business or speaking opportunity, the New Year always brings with it a yearning in all of us for change, progress, new experiences and new ideas – the leap of faith (listening to your heart) that takes us on a journey we never knew was out there for us (to be homesick for).
Can you get that new business, position, adventure or board seat you might crave if you don’t take a risk? Perhaps.
But what would happen if you did take that leap?
