Risk – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Three Risks Every Leader Should Take

Posted June 7, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Three Risks Every Leader Should Take

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. – Muhammad Ali

A story is told of a lady the Midwest, Miss Jones, who had the distinction of being the oldest resident in her town. But when she died, the editor of the local newspaper had a terrible time coming up with anything to say about her.

Miss Jones had never done anything wrong. She had never spent a night in jail or had ever been drunk. On the other hand she had never done anything significant. In despair, the editor assigned the job of writing up a small article for both the paper and the tombstone to the first reporter he saw. For both the paper and the tombstone the reporter wrote: “Here lie the bones of Nancy Jones, for her life held no terrors. She lived an old maid. She died an old maid. No hits, no runs, no errors.”

While Miss Jones may have held the distinction of being the oldest resident in her town, she was otherwise a bland person. As a leader, if you are going to stand out among the crowd, realize your dreams, and fulfill your destiny then you will have to take some risks.

Many people have a love-hate relationship as it pertains to risk. They are content to admire risk-takers from a distance but are not willing to go there themselves. But if you want to make your mark as a leader then you will have to step out of your comfort zone and walk unfamiliar paths. What are some of the risks you will have to take? There are plenty, but here are three for your consideration.

The risk of being alone

Leadership for most is a lonely proposition. It’s not that you don’t have friends or that you are not among people, but the depth of your responsibilities runs deeper than what is seen on the surface. This at times will cause you to have to stand alone when making difficult decisions, when forging new paths, and pursuing your dream. Not everyone can go there with you, nor should they.

The risk of being alone will be measured against the comfort of the crowd, the accolades of admirers, and the security of your company. Are you willing to risk all of that at the price of being alone and realizing your dreams?

The risk of being misunderstood

For many leaders this is an all-too-common reality. Leaders who are risk-takers are often misunderstood. They are perceived as a little eccentric, unconventional in their approach, and they don’t always play by the rules. Not that they are reckless or unlawful but they like to challenge tradition and thrive on thinking outside the box. They are hard to figure out because they see the same world do but through a different lens. But if you are willing to be misunderstood there is a whole new world before you that is waiting to be unveiled and new heights of personal growth to attain.

If you are fine with being misread, mislabeled, and misunderstood then taking some risks is for you. Don’t let the fear of what others think keep you from fulfilling your destiny. When you are willing to ignore other people’s perceptions then you are free to become the person God created you to become.

The risk of not being like everyone else

Every leader’s journey is different. An environment in which one leader thrives might be disastrous for another. What motivates you in terms of dreams, life purpose, and goals may hold no appeal to even your closest of friends. But that is the beauty of the risk. Your aim is not about conforming to everyone around you but rather discovering what is true about yourself and chasing after it.

Ultimately, your ambitions and dreams will require action. As a leader you can live in fear and with regrets over what might have been or you can take your chances on being lonely and misunderstood. But at the end of the day you can hold onto a deep satisfaction that you are not like everyone else.

What do you say?

I welcome your feedback:

1. What are some risks that you are taking into consideration regarding a future goal or objective?

2. What challenges do you face in deciding what to do?

3. What risk(s) have you take that you wish you had done sooner?

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Leadership Minute: What’s Your Risk Factor?

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn

Your growth as a leader involves many variables. Primarily it’s hard work. There’s just no way to avoid it to get where you want to go. Other variables will include some good breaks, making the right contacts, and just a relentless pursuit of your dream with passion. But there is one other factor you must not forget about; risk. Many people don’t have a high tolerance for risk. They had rather play it safe and choose predictable paths. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that approach but sometimes you have to take steps of faith not knowing where the path might lead. Let me encourage you today to follow your dreams and when necessary be willing to take a risk on your future. Be confident in your abilities and trust your instincts.

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Four Traits of Courageous Leaders

Posted February 8, 2014
by admin
4 Comments on Four Traits of Courageous Leaders

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

A story is told of Leonidas, King of Sparta, who was preparing to make a stand with his Greek troops against the Persian army in 480 B.C. when a Persian envoy arrived. The man warned Leonidas of the futility of trying to resist the advance of the huge Persian army. “Our archers are so numerous,” said the envoy, “that the flight of their arrows will darken the sun.” “So much the better,” replied Leonidas, “for we shall fight them in the shade.” Leonidas made his stand, and died with his 300 troops.

It’s one thing to have courage as a leader but another thing to be foolish. While Leonidas’ actions may be considered foolish in retrospect, courage can be one of your most valuable assets as a leader. Here are four characteristics of courageous leaders.

They are willing to stand alone

Courageous leaders are those who know where they are going and what it takes to get there. They can be both inspiring and complex. Their focus and demeanor can be misinterpreted by those who may not share the same leadership DNA who had rather go all out with a passion than play it safe with an assumption.

Leaders who are willing to stand alone do so not always by choice but sometimes out of necessity. When you believe so strongly in your cause that you are willing to stand alone it gives the signal to the rest of your team that you are all in. Be it your values, convictions, ethics, or just the general principles of sound leadership you will earn the trust and respect of those you lead when you are willing to go it alone for what is right.

They are willing to think different

Courageous leaders have cut the strings to the safety nets of a “this is the way we’ve always done it,” mentality and have wagered their chips on new and innovative ways of thinking. Courageous leadership is not about throwing caution to the wind where anything goes, but it’s recognizing that being competitive in the 21^st century requires more.

Have you noticed how leaders who think different can be restless? They are constantly brainstorming new ideas and methodologies and challenging old assumptions. They do so not out of disrespect, but out of a desire to contribute in more meaningful ways not yet realized. Courageous leaders are different because they think different.

They are willing to take risks

Founded during The Panic of 1837, would you know of Proctor and Gamble had someone not taken a risk? Founded during The Panic of 1873, you now know of GE because someone took a risk. GM was founded during The Panic of 1907 all because someone took a risk. United Technologies was founded in 1929 during the Great Depression all because someone took a risk. It was during the Oil Crisis of 1973 that Frederick W. Smith founded FedEx. I think it was a risk worth taking.

Courageous leaders are risk takers. They have a high threshold for failure because they understand it’s the surest way to success. Risk takers don’t wait until conditions are just right in order to step up and take a chance. What great idea have you been holding back on because you were afraid to take a risk?

They are willing to make mistakes

Courageous leaders are not perfect. They make plenty of mistakes and at times can be challenging to work with. Their mistakes not made out of an abundance of caution but because they have long sense progressed beyond it. They live not just for the here and now, but are passionate about the future and its possibilities.

George Bernard Shaw said, “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” Courageous leaders are willing to make mistakes and willing to risk looking foolish in order to live out the life she or he has dreamed. The only thing worse is to look back years from now with regrets for what you wished you had done.

What do you say?

I invite your feedback!

1. Which one of the four traits did you most identify with?

2. What additional traits would you add?

3. How can we as leaders encourage each other to be more courageous?

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