In my most recent issue of our email newsletter Powerquotes , I shared this quotation from the legendary management thinker Peter Drucker.
People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.There is a tremendous two fold leadership lesson here for us.
First, for us personally.
People often talk about level of risk taking as a matter of personal leadership style. While it is true that we may have different levels of risk taking that are most comfortable fr us, since when is all leadership success based on our personal comfort level?
Drucker’s message to us is, taken as a leadership development strategy is that we will make mistakes anyway, that at some level we would be better off to take a few more risks, try a few more things, take a few more actions, be willing to try something new.
This is the crux of innovative leadership – we must take some risks in order to reach greater results.
Second, we must view risk taking from the perspective of our team. Are we role modeling the level of risk and the comfort with mistakes (which is where learning comes from) that we want from our team? Are we stifling those who are perhaps a bit more risk-ready by putting the boundaries or barriers a bit too close to them?
Lots more can be said about these ideas, and I will say them in future posts. But for now, make this your leadership activity for the day…
Reread the quotation above and ask yourself if you are taking enough risks, both for yourself and your team/organization.
If you are looking for a low risk, innovative way to expand your leadership skills, take my offer of $748.25 worth of free leadership development tools that come as a part of the Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever.
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