Challenging and Risk Taking
"Challenge is the opportunity for greatness.
No one has ever said the best work of his/her life was maintaining
the status quo."
Key Lesson: Lack of Challenging
and Risk Taking does not come from a lack of courage, rather a lack
of commitment. Most people would not hesitate to rush into a burning
building to save their children. Yet they often will withdraw from
presenting an unpopular counterpoint to a boss. The first and far
more dangerous, is worth the risk. The other is not. Courage or
Commitment -- you decide.
Experiential Activity: (Please reflect deeply on the following
questions before writing your responses.)
- Think about a time in your life when you initiated
a major change. (It could be taking a new job, getting married,
buying a new home, etc.)
- Why did you do it? (Were you really committed?)
- What were some of the barriers or fears you
had to overcome?
- What gave you the power or strength to move
ahead?
--- Examine all of your answers carefully ---
- What can you learn from this experience?
What do you think it will take to successfully meet new challenges
going forward?
Action Plan:
- Read our current article on commitment. Click
here for article.
- Identify a process or procedure with which
you are really disappointed or just want to be better. Don't try
to save the entire world all at once!
- Decide on your level of commitment about the
process you just identified. Are you invested enough to do anything?
If not, identify another.
- Decide on some actions to take in the next
30 days. Write them down in your planner and hold yourself accountable.
Remember, the practice is Challenging and Taking Risks not just
Thinking About Challenging and Taking Risks.
--- Some suggestions to get you started
are listed below---
Here is our challenge to you. Tell us what you
are going to challenge and what you plan to do. Are you committed
enough to make it public? Contact
ILA
Good luck and keep passion in your work.
Suggestions for Challenging and Taking Risks:
- Make commitment a topic at every operations
review or staff meeting. Let people dialogue it.
- Review examples of challenging and taking
risks in your own company or organization. What were they? Were
they successful? What happened to the people who did them?
- Clarify the boundaries of risk-taking. What
actions or decisions require collaboration or approval -- which
ones can be acted on alone?
- Talk with someone you believe is a role model
of Challenging. Learn from them and ask them to be a coach. (yes,
even someone lower than you in the organization)
Click here
to view the article, True Commitment.
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