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How Taking Risks Pays Off For Better Influence and Outcomes
Key takeaways for innovation, risk-taking evaluation and decision making
If you do nothing, you initially lose nothing and gain nothing.
If you do something (or change something), you could lose what you have or gain something.
If you do something else, you lose what you have and gain something else.
If you take a risk, you have the opportunity to win at the second and third scenarios.
If you’re naturally risk averse, seeking stability over potential gains (or flops), then you may choose the first scenario and may end up losing all anyway.
More on this safe point below in a business case scenario.
There’s No Such Thing As Safe, There’s Always Risk
Playing it safe isn’t all that safe. Because you could actually lose what you have without making any decisions or taking any proactive steps.
If you’re at a job, you’re not guaranteed work tomorrow even if you’ve been at your work for decades. If you’re in a relationship, your partner could wake up one day with new insight for a new life that doesn’t include you, that could be a blessing in disguise.
If you’re not working on an area of your life such as self-care, your body is slowly slipping away as you’re aging. What’s forgotten, isn’t growing, and becomes less relevant over time. You risk losing your health.
This can also apply to character traits you aren’t using, as you may end up referring back to your old bad habits because they’re the easier way. You risk losing strides you made in personal growth.
Or you go back to an old job that isn’t satisfying any more as your perspective is different, but it’s easy and comfortable.
Low hanging fruit is okay for the short term. But you could be doing so much more, and working towards a better life.
If you take risks to start a new career or venture, you probably would start at the bottom.
But then you have a chance to grow to a larger potential that’s more fulfilling and has higher earnings. You can…
