Push the envelope: How to channel risk into success

Falling back into a comfort zone is only natural at times. Whether it’s personally or professionally, settling for the tried and tested will often be the safest – and easiest – option.

However, there’s nothing worse than regret. As the old adage goes, you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.

When the figurehead of a team, taking risks plays a huge part in advanced leadership. Here are three tips on being a little less cautious in the pursuit of success:

Don’t misjudge

It’s human nature to focus on any potential losses rather than gains. Put simply, over-thinking makes taking risks difficult.

Leaders in particular should be more mindful than most, and assess any opportunities for risk objectively.

The mountains created by your worried and subjective mind are likely only to be minor bumps in the road once you get underway.

Keeping that in mind and accurately weighing up any risk on its own merits is critical when it comes to making the right decision.

Be an individual

The decision to take a risk will often mean others view you as an outcast. Rather than letting this notion have a hampering effect, it should be embraced.

What works for everyone else won’t necessarily work for you. Taking risks as a leader is embracing the fact that you can forge your own path, regardless of the decisions of those that have gone before.

Trade up

Even when all you’re experiencing is success, being ready and able to trade good for great should be at the heart of any risky decision.

When an original idea proves fruitful, ask yourself whether there’s any potential for even better results.

There’s little denying that leveraging any current successes against creating something bigger will be daunting at first, but taking that very risk is what separates the best leaders from the also-rans.