We all have some inclination when it comes to risk.

Some of us are all in! These types of people are welcomed in Vegas!

Some are risk averse. They have trouble deciding on where to eat dinner. 

And when we watch movies and tell stories we often highlight one of these two types of risk takers.  We see the thrill of victory of the woman who risked it all and won big.  Or we see the cautionary tale of the guy who stayed in a boring job and life passed him by. 

But true successful people have a secret when it comes to risk. And they often skip over this because it seems boring.  

They take careful and calculated risks. 

I’ve been reading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.  

It came highly recommended as a great biography of these two brothers who changed history. And it is fascinating.  But unless you are fascinated by history or flight, what could you learn from this book that might make your life more simple or your leadership more powerful?

I thought this quote was particularly helpful and this is my “one thing I learned this week.”

As you might imagine, taking the first runs at actually flying was a bit nerve wracking and evoked quite a bit of fear. The concern of how to take off wasn’t near the concern of how to land. So they moved their entire operation to the outer banks of North Carolina. They decided to practice on sand. 

“The man who wishes to keep at the problem long enough to really learn anything positively must not take dangerous risks. Carelessness and overconfidence are usually more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks.”

This reminds me of something I read from Jim Collins in Great by Choice.  He said if you have 5 bullets and 1 cannon ball, fire the bullets first till you know what to hit… then fire the cannonball.  

What’s that look like in your world?

Build relationships with 10 and wait to see which 1 is the likely investor.

Try several hobbies 1 time until you find the 1 to invest more time.

Experiment with multiple service opportunities until you find the one that brings you life. 

Risks are important… and often glamorized, but calculated risks, complete with trial and error are the ones that take flight.