There is a lot to be afraid of in our world today. It seems like every day, we hear about a new terrorist attack or political crisis going on somewhere in the world. The temptation is always there for us to stop living our lives, lock the doors, and order everything we need on the Internet. This mentality is not confined to our personal lives, though. It's also true in business.
Many leaders in business are risk averse. We fear what could happen if we make a mistake so, instead, we just stick with the status quo. We don't want to change anything, because making a change means taking a risk. Things are fine the way they are. Why rock the boat? It may end up capsizing!
While it's always good to exercise caution, there is another angle to this. When we allow ourselves to be driven by fear, we miss opportunities. Staying the same isn't necessarily "playing it safe," because if you stay the same it means you aren't growing. While your competition takes the necessary risks to advance, you fall behind. Yes, you could and should ask, "What will happen if I fail?" But an equally important question to ask is, "What could happen if I succeed?"
You could be driven by fear, or you could be driven by hope. Bad things can happen, but so can good things. Some risks are worth taking. Are you allowing yourself the freedom to take them?
David Lykken, a 43-year veteran of the mortgage industry, is president of Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS), a management consulting firm that provides transformative business strategies to owners and “C-Level” executives via consulting, executive coaching and various communications strategies. He is a frequent guest on FOX Business News and hosts his own weekly podcast called “Lykken On Lending” heard Monday’s at 1:00 p.m. ET at LykkenOnLending.com. David’s phone number is (512) 759-0999 and his e-mail is [email protected].
