Risk and Failure: A Conflict in Leadership

In recent days, I have heard several stories on the news about failure. Whether it was of a child welfare service accused on not keeping kids safe, of a patient injury caused by medical error, or a CEO being arraigned due to misuse of company funds there is no loss of finding failure in organizations. Risk then becomes a dangerous word for organizations and leaders. Do you embrace risk? Avoid it?

We are a culture of winning. Sometimes this winning is at any cost. With such a high demand on being the victor, many innovative ideas are overlooked. Leaders are not willing to take that chance on something unproven or a theory. The price of failure in poorly managed organizations can be removal or demotion. For many, failure is seen as a terminal end and not an opportunity for growth.

Leaders today need to be more comfortable with failure. Risk is an inherent part then of failure. You would not willingly make a decision you knew was going to fail. So how much risk you are willing to take usually determines how big the failure will appear or be perceived by others. Consider this quote from John Maxwell:

“Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it.”

Daily, you as a leader are faced with decisions and there is a natural tendency to go with the comfortable path or proven path. I don’t disagree there are many times this is the correct decision. There are times though when risk and boldness are required if you are going to solve a problem. Innovative approaches to solutions always seem risky. In healthcare today, we need innovation if we are going to survive with all the requirements levied upon leaders to make it happen.

Risk then needs to be a part of your decision matrix if you are going to lead in the future. And being able to assess the risk and knowing when it is time to take it will be a delicate balance and take inner confidence and trust in your own leadership. The ability to have a confidant who can provide you feedback on the risk and benefit of a decision is powerful. This confidant can help you understand possible outcomes of your choices and ensure you are not missing major factors to be considered in your decision making.

The leader of our future needs to be comfortable taking risks in their leadership. It has been shown repeatedly that innovation is needed and required if you want to be successful. Leaders who can embrace and acknowledge their failures, leaders who learn from them, and then leaders who move forward will be highly coveted in healthcare and nursing. It is not the failure which will define you. It is the action, energy, and change you create which will be your hallmark in leadership.

So consider the following statements regarding risk and failure in leadership:

1. Leaders who are not failing are not growing.
2. Risk requires you to be comfortable with failing.
3. Leadership requires commitment to growth and change.
4. A comfortable leadership is not leadership.

“The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying”     John Maxwell

Tell me your thoughts on risk and failure!

Leading with you.

Dean

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