“It’s uncomfortable to work, to stretch the capacity of your tolerance, to be vulnerable with someone you care deeply about, but it is never more uncomfortable than going your whole life without the things you really want”.
This quote by Brianna West fittingly summarises the value of risk-taking, both in a professional and personal context. But is risk-taking a necessary tool in the pathway to ‘success’?
Firstly, it is worth noting that success is not an umbrella term. If anything, no term is less inclusive. Success has a different meaning for everyone. The subjectivity of success is the reason why risk may be perceived to have varying importance. However, I believe that risk-taking does hold value for everyone and that it is an essential factor in optimising opportunities for success. This article will discuss three products of risk. It will outline why it is that those with a tendency to choose the risk, at a calculated level, are typically more successful in their careers than their cautious counterparts.
Resilience:
Risk inevitably breeds its own setbacks and failures. However, the lessons which can be taken from such shortcomings are arguably the greatest prize. To use the clichéd Michael Jordan quote, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed”. There is undeniable value in taking risks, as even if the outcome is not an obvious ‘success’, the lessons learnt will inevitably bring us one step closer to the desired outcome. If risk cannot bring an immediate win, it will nevertheless have taught us one or more lessons. Resilience itself is also a vitally important trait to have in the professional context. Failure and more importantly the ability to overcome failure is a vital lesson to be taken from risk and applied elsewhere. Risk prepares us for failure and teaches us how to avoid it if we have already experienced a similar trajectory. Simply, the lessons which come from taking risks are likely to have a long-term benefit which could not have otherwise been yielded.
Opportunity:
Typically, the term risk and its natural associations have a negative context. Inevitably, risk invokes emotion. It is natural for the fear of both the unknown and fear of failure to influence the frequency and nature of risk which someone may take within their career. Indeed, moving a country, changing jobs or committing to an unpredictable change in life can be associated with fear; a fear of failure or of having an outcome which had not been anticipated. However, if this fear can be flipped into a mindset of possibility, it is the possibility itself which can act as a motivating factor for risk. The fear with taking risk may lead people to think about what could be lost if it goes wrong. Here, the opportunity within risk is lost. Of course, risks should be calculated. But, to have a mindset which immediately resonates with the possibility for failure means that the window for success becomes tainted.
Instead, we should aim to perceive the fear with risk in a different way and ask ourselves: what could I be missing out on? In doing this we open ourselves to a more optimistic outlook. It gives a perspective upon taking risks that not only gives us a purpose, but also a fear of settling where we are. Risk is healthy and is a catalyst for both challenging ourselves and opening doors of opportunity. Be it a career change or a more personal goal, forcing change and stepping out of our comfort zone is ultimately what will lead to a more fulfilling and successful path.
To be clear, I am not trying to advocate uncalculated risk for the sake of risk. Nor am I alluding that all risks lead to success; this is simply not true. However, this article has aimed to outline the clear and proven benefit of taking calculated risks in order to be exposed to failure and the lessons that come with it. It has also highlighted the level of opportunity which can be bred by escaping the comfort zone.
Don’t be left thinking ‘what if?’
To speak to Leo about this topic, please contact him at Leo Gualchierotti
