Sometimes leaders take risks. That’s the nature of leadership. One cannot always be certain of an
outcome. Measured, calculated decisions
are a part of any leadership position.
This holds true for almost any level of the
leadership chain. It is how we learn;
how we grow and advance; how we overcome new challenges.
I have always held to some fundamental ‘rules’ as it
relates to taking risks.
1. Whatever
is decided must never violate the moral, ethical and legal standards that have
govern your business.
2. The
cost of failure must never outweigh the value of what is learned in the
process.
3. Failure
must NEVER be fatal. The company must
survive even the worst decisions.
Some leaders feel that they are immune to these
conditions. Like Humpty Dumpty, they
don’t see falling off the wall as that critical. They say and do things that are not measured,
not calculated and which are reckless.
As we know, you cannot unscramble an egg…
The point is that when you violate these ‘rules’
there are consequences. And these
consequences are out of your control. Once
you have lost control; once you have lost the narrative, you are now subject to
someone else’s decisions.
The least impact may be a simple reprimand. Perhaps it leads to a demotion or delayed
promotion. In the extreme in may lead to
termination…or impeachment.
Rules are not ‘meant to be broken’. Rules are established to prevent disasters
and generally are born out of experience or out of an understanding of the
common good.
This does not mean that rules cannot be changed. In point of fact, rules are often challenged
and revised based on new understandings and evolving norms.
Your leadership must be both accepting and
challenging. You must accept the borders
that your ‘rules’ have set. Concurrently
you must challenge that status quo when you know that the realities that
established the ‘rules’ have changed and that the new normal demands a new approach.
Never sacrifice your core values. Ensure that you
are open minded enough to see change for what it is…an opportunity to improve
in an evolving world.
