In the face of change, the most dangerous act is standing still.
The Devil You Know
Most people really, really don’t like change. That’s why continuing what you’re already doing usually feels like the safest path. Changing course or taking decisive action feels riskier because the future is less certain.
But the devil you know isn’t actually better, and the path that feels risky might be the safest bet.
This difference between perceived and actual risk keeps entrepreneurs stuck, like a frog in hot water. The perceived risk of taking action feels daunting, while the actual risk of inaction might be invisible until it’s too late. The leaders who try to play it safe and avoid making waves face even greater threats down the line.
“In a time of rapid change, standing still is the most dangerous course of action.” – Brian Tracy
Here are 3 times a willingness to take a risk was ultimately the best way to play it safe.
Should I Fire a Customer?
Nothing feels riskier than firing a customer. When you’ve worked your tail off to build your sales and marketing pipeline and your reputation, turning away revenue takes guts. But in cases where they’re consistently late to pay, they’re unkind or abusive to you or your team, or they’re simply not a good fit for your business model, it may be the safest thing you can do.
Clients who suck time, energy, or cashflow from your business leave you fewer resources to dedicate to your best clients. Unsurprisingly, over-serving C- and D- grade clients at the expense of A-grade clients is a losing strategy in the long run.
While you may have heard that 80% of an average business’ revenue comes from 20% of its customers or products, that’s not the full story. Digging deeper, the top 20% of the customers might represent as much as 150% of the profit.
If that’s your reality, your bottom line would increase after firing 80% of your customers!
Should I Delegate Something If I’m Better at It?
“No one can do it as well as me.” – A Boss
When you know you can take care of a task more quickly and to a higher standard than anyone else on your team, of course it makes sense for you to do it, right?
Not necessarily. Sure, there’s an immediate risk in knowing that the person you’re giving it to will be slower and make more mistakes. You want every client to get the same high-quality service, so choosing to give away responsibility can feel like it’s putting the project and the relationship in danger.
But failing to train and trust your team carries far higher risks. They might leave for greener pastures where they might advance, or you may become what Liz Wiseman calls an “accidental diminisher” – a boss who fails to inspire their team’s best work and is then stuck with sub-par results.
Should I Talk About My Mistakes?
As a leader, you want to be respected. If you do make a mistake, there might not be anyone who can call you out on it, so you can easily shrug it off. Why would you own that error in front of the team you’re trying to lead? The perceived risk of losing face is high.
Recent studies have shown that high performing teams do talk about their mistakes, and this culture of open communication starts at the top. When reporting mistakes leads to help and support rather than embarrassment or punishment, the whole team gets to learn from them.
A culture of hiding mistakes translates to lower rates of innovation and creativity and a slower pace of learning and improving. Talking openly about any errors creates psychological safety and better outcomes in the long run.
This Week’s Takeaway
As Les Brown said, “You can’t see the picture when you’re in the frame.”
Sometimes risk can only be evaluated from a different perspective. When you zoom out, it becomes clear that taking action, even when it feels risky, is the only way to grow.
Rest: By Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Rest is a thoughtful counterbalance to the constant pressure to do more and push harder. The author makes a research-backed case that real productivity often comes from stepping away, not doubling down, and introduces the idea of “deliberate rest” as a skill rather than a reward. Better work often starts with taking rest just as seriously as effort.
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