Safe, Sorry or Successful?

“Better to be safe than sorry?”  I bet I’m not the only one who grew up with that message.  “Don’t touch the rose bush – it has thorns.”  “Don’t climb out on that tree branch.”  Your choice was to be wrapped in cotton, or take the risk – to have fun.  And then incur the wrath of your mother when you came to her w/the bleeding knee.  I also bet that the exhilaration of taking the risk often outweighed the wrath.  Not to mention bragging rights!

As coaches, we notice that our clients often face the same kind of choice – stay safe, or take a risk.  Invest in new equipment – hire more staff – try a new way – expand into a new geographic region.  Or stay the same, close ranks, hunker down & hope the storm doesn’t hit.

Of course, business people want to succeed.  What we know is that, more often than not, taking risks results in success.  Success isn’t guaranteed however.  Failure is always one of the options.  What is guaranteed is learning.  Great companies risk, fail, learn & repeat the cycle frequently.  Great leaders welcome failure as an opportunity to learn and move forward.  They are not afraid to ask the hard questions.  What worked here?  What did not?  What do we need to do differently the next time?  Remember, risk always involves a “next time”.  And success WILL come and with it, exhilaration!!

Now you’re a grown up!  What’s your choice?  Cotton or exhilaration?  I’d love to hear your experience as such!

Barbara Wisnom