Running
Risks
The leader
is aware that at times he has to run some risks.
There are
moments when he will have to make decisions without having all of
the information that he would ideally like. It is not absolutely clear
what is the right decision, but it is necessary to make one.
In this
state of uncertainty, the leader shouldn’t have a mental block
but should make the decision which he believes is the right one.
On other
occasions, opportunities present themselves. Sometimes they are not
totally defined, but if he knows how to take advantage of them they
can be very beneficial for the company.
This obliges
the leader sometimes to have to “bet”. Although these
decisions have been analyzed in great detail, there is always a high
risk.
These types
of decisions can demand heavy investment. The leader tries to beat
the competitors to it; if he gets it right the company can obtain
important profits, if he gets it wrong they will have wasted resources.
The leader
assumes this risk, knowing that he could win or loose.
What is
fundamental in these situations is:
To show
the organization that the leader is a courageous person that does
not hide in the presence of a risk and that he knowss how to go forward
when it is necessary.
When he
runs risks they are not decisions made on a whim, they are not based
on the feeling that comes from the leader, but they are decisions
that have been studied, he will have consulted his team (especially
if the risk is high) and he makes the decision because if he doesn’t
he will be running a greater risk (missing opportunities, remaining
behind the competitors, handing over markets, remaining obsolete,
etc).
The risks
that the leader takes are not taken on a whim: if it is the wrong
decision, the company will get damaged, but the company will overcome
it, it will not yield.
However,
under no circumstances can the leader make decisions by tossing a
coin (except in extreme situations).
In the
competitive and changing world that we live in; not accepting risk
is considered condemning yourself to failure, as other competitors
will run risks.
This is
the risk of not taking risks.
The leader
shouldn’t fear failure. When he makes decisions they are not
always going to be right; when this happens the leader has to learn
from his mistakes and try to avoid them in the future.
When an
adopted decision is the wrong one, the leader does not sink. He analyses
what was wrong and he tries to take measures to avoid these mistakes
happening in the future.
The leader
always looks forward.
Finally,
to point out that the leader will create, within the company, a culture
of assuming risks.
If the
decision is wrong but was carefully thought about, the employees will
understand. They will support him in these difficult moments.
What he
can not accept, under any concept, is that a person assumes risks
without really thinking about it “without doing their homework”.