Risk-taking is one of the most critical skills that every strong leader should have. It involves envisioning the future, enhancing your odds of success, and then translating your vision into reality. Risk-taking leaders are self-aware, nimble, and fearless. So, it’s no surprise that employees respond well to risk takers and perceive them as leaders worth following. Taking calculated risks will not only empower you as a leader, but it will also empower and inspire everyone around you.

In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the most important skills that a risk-taking leader should have, and dives deep into the concept of leading by taking risks (that are worth taking). First, he tells us a story about Myles Frost and his journey to becoming a Tony Award winner. Thanks to his extraordinary talent, hard work, and some smart risk-taking, Myles showed us that life is inherently risky, but that very rarely does anything worthwhile happen without a gamble. Then, McKay walks us through some of the key traits of a risk-taking leader. According to him, if you want to lead as a risk taker, you need to learn to see the difference between foolish and sound risks. You need to know how to improve your odds of success and visit the future by examining the paths of others. Finally, you should have a clear vision and gain the capacity to translate that vision into reality. 

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Learning from Myles Frost’s example
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• Risks that are worth taking
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• Leading by taking calculated risks
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• The difference between foolish and sound risk-taking
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• Improving odds of success
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• Visiting the future by examining your competitors
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• Translating your vision into reality

Quotes:

“I think we all face risks now and then in our life. And sometimes those risks seem too impossible or too much to hope for or even seem like too much to think that we may actually have a chance to do something remarkable or good.”

“That's how it is sometimes. The opportunities that come our way, and the direction we need to take our team or live from time to time is both a godsend and a gamble. But it is worth the risk. ”

“You see, it's not the tendency of most leaders to risk because there's often too much to lose. But risk-taking builds credibility and makes you attractive as a leader.”

“Almost everything worthwhile is a risk. ”

“You can improve your odds as a leader and risk taker by getting smarter, using the best in the world to help you, having options, and putting your resources to work in the best way.”

“Leadership is the ability to translate that vision into reality, to take what the road looks like in the future, and create a roadmap now for success.”

Links:

McKay Christensen Homepage