10,000 Foot View

Are you taking enough of the right kinds of risks in your business?

During my career, I have had the luxury of hanging around a lot of people that enjoy taking risks. I’ve watched (and experienced) some efforts that had huge payoffs; and many that were nothing short of a disaster. Over time I have learned that risk takers have a few things in common.

1) They keep a very small buffer. Logic suggests that there’s no sense in putting everything on the line. Even so, it’s amazing how truly SMALL of a buffer many risk takers will keep in reserve. They often put nearly everything on the line to make their dreams come true.

2) They get up after they fall down. It seems like there are largely two types of people in the world: Those who divide people in to two types and those who don’t. Beyond that, one could argue that there are two types of workers in the world: Those who work for themselves and those who don’t. If you don’t like risks, don’t work for yourself or start a business. If you don’t like risks and still want to own a business, see if you can talk your mommy or daddy in to giving you theirs.

3) They are sometimes stubborn, myopic and belligerent. Most risk takers I know can be unreasonable and closed minded. They seem to roll down the side of the mountain in spite of the warnings that precede their efforts.

4) They live for the challenge. Success may be an outcome, but the risk and challenge is the journey. If risk taking is a means to an end, think twice about the risks that you are taking.

If you decide to play it safe in your life and career, that’s OK. There is nothing wrong with being a proud chicken. On the flip side, there’s probably nothing worse than pretending you have what it takes to be a risk taker when in reality you’re scared to death to lead the way down your own mountain.

Brian Lopes railing it down A-line at Whistler… from GoPro on Vimeo.