When the Olympics roll around, I find myself watching sports that I have never cared about in the last four years but suddenly find myself emotionally invested in. For example, I am not a fan of curling (even though I’m a Canadian) and yet when it is time for Olympic curling, I’ll cheer with the best of them. The same goes for Olympic gymnastics. I have great respect for gymnasts, but I never watch gymnastics except for at the Olympics.
The Olympics were on TV this past August, and, true to form, I found myself watching more gymnastics in a single afternoon than I had over the past four years. I am always amazed at the sheer athleticism of gymnasts.
One of my favourite events to watch is the uneven bars. Gymnasts swing and jump between two bars and do all sorts of tricks that I could never dream of completing. This last Olympics, as I watched in amazement, I noticed something I hadn’t before: the coaches.
When gymnasts are about to do an especially difficult flip or transition on the uneven bars, their coach will step onto the mat below them and spot them. The coach is almost inconspicuous; he does not touch the gymnast, nor does he support her anyway, he is just there to catch her should she fall.
The coach’s position to catch the gymnast should she fall provides a sort of safety net. The gymnast can push herself beyond what may be comfortable with the knowledge that if she should fail, there is someone there to break her fall. This extra security allows the gymnast to push her boundaries.
This practice is based off of this theory:
If someone has a security net, they are more likely to take higher risks with greater rewards.
But here’s the thing: there is no safety net for life. Just like the uneven bars, there is no net waiting to catch us if we fall. Gymnasts have their coach standing by to help, but who do the rest of us have?
Leaders do not just lead others, they are the human safety net. A successful leader creates two different types of security nets: a security neat for their team, and a security net for themselves.
Security net for your team
You want your team to take risks. Risk-taking is an important part of growth. If your team does not take risks, they run the risk of growing stagnant and apathetic.
A leader needs to let their team know that it is okay to make mistakes.
If you allow your team to make mistakes, you have to create a safe environment for them to do so. For example, if a team member takes a new approach to a sale and loses the sale, your reaction to the loss of a sale will determine that team member’s future action. An angry response will make that team member more likely to stick to the script the next time and not take a chance; a compassionate response will make that team member more likely to take further risks, which could lead to a future breakthrough.
Most leaders are not at the top of the corporate ladder. If a team member takes a risk and makes a mistake, there could be repercussions from upper-level management. As a team leader, you have to make a decision if you are going to support your team or your managers.
If you want to build a safety net that promotes risk-taking, you have to support your team when things don’t go as planned. That will mean taking responsibility for your team’s mistakes (and giving credit to your team for their accomplishments) as well as supporting their actions to your own superiors.
There is a stark difference between supporting your team in their risks and dealing with misconduct. If a team member is consistently making mistakes, or their mistakes are due to carelessness rather than taking initiative, it may be time to reevaluate that person’s value to your team, or to consider some sort of punishment. A security net provides the foundation for your team to take risky initiatives, but it is not an excuse for poor behaviour.
Security net for you
Successful leaders take risks.
Whether you are a leader of a team or a leader among your peers, if you want to succeed, you need to be willing to take risks.
It is not easy to take risks; that’s why it’s called a risk. You need to be smart about your risk-taking, ensuring that you work with a high reward potential (more about his in another post).
When you have nothing to lose, taking a risk is not so hard; it is when you have everything to lose that risk-taking becomes difficult.
If you have children, you know that your life changes dramatically when you have another human being (or multiple human beings) who completely rely on you for their survival. If you don’t have kids, you’ll have to take my word for it. When my daughter was born, a sudden responsibility fell on my shoulders to provide for her. Such a responsibility can make risk-taking suddenly distasteful.
There are a lot of life changes, responsibilities, and other items that can scare you away from taking risks.
There is no perfect time to take a risk. There will always be something important at risk.
I talk a lot about vision on this blog, because I believe that vision is what sustains both a leader and a team. When it comes time to take a risk, your vision is what will propel you forward. If you do not have a strong vision, the risks will seem much more daunting than they actually are.
Even if you have the vision to pursue a dream and take a risk, you need to have a security net. I should be clear that I am not talking about planning to fail. Confidence is key when taking initiative in a risky business, and you should never enter into anything with the expectation of failure.
But let’s face it: if you take risks, eventually you will fail. It’s inevitable. Denzel Washington gave the graduation address at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, and his entire speech was about failure and the importance of persistence. I am not suggesting that you have a fall-back plan; I’m suggesting that you have a safety net so that you can survive long enough to try again.
- Save money. If you are taking risks that will put you in danger of not meeting your financial obligations, you need to make sure that you have money saved up. Dale Partridge of StartUpCamp.com writes an article about starting your own business. In it he says that you should have $1,000 saved for emergencies, plus a year’s worth of expenses already saved before you start a business. I don’t think that such a large amount of savings is feasible for most people, but financial security is important. If you are in a position where you can put money away into savings, do it.
- Build a network. Life is hard enough without trying to do it alone. If you are in a leadership position that involves risk, you need to have a support network. This network can be friends, family, peers, colleagues, or mentors, but the point is that when things go wrong, you need to have someone(s) to go talk to. No, the team under your leadership does not count. You cannot go crying to your team; they are your team, not your peers. If you are a peer leader, find someone outside of your peer group. Find someone or some people who know you, respect you, and push you to be the best you can be.
- Craft a vision. I’ve already touched on this. Your vision will drive you and carry you through the tough times. Craft a vision that is detailed and expansive. Dare to dream. I will be posting more about this in December.
Dynamic lessons
If you want someone to take risks, it is vital that you, as a leader, give them a security net. For your team, you need to allow them to make mistakes and foster an environment that does not punish failure and supports them in their initiative.
Successful leaders also take risks. In order to protect yourself from your risks, it is important that you create your own safety net. This net should include saving money for emergencies, building a network of people you can go to when you need help, and crafting a vision that will sustain you in the tough times.
Have you taken a risk and failed? What did you do to protect yourself? What do you wish you had done differently? As a leader, how do you provide a security net for your team?
