Taking Intelligent Risks

The scene at U.S. Bank stadium in Minneapolis where Virginia claimed their National Championship 

By Jen Rother, Vice President of Strategy & Insights

Before I started writing this, I re-read the previous blog articles for inspiration – which is a good thing as otherwise I would have started this with the exact same quote that Greg used to begin his article.  This makes sense given how closely intertwined innovation and change are with the need to take intelligent risks.  Any of the ideas that have changed the course of human events as well as those that have defined our business have all involved some element of risk.  Our challenge is two-fold – to simultaneously encourage and manage that risk. 

Writing this in the Minneapolis airport waiting for my flight back to sunny Orlando, I can’t help but think of the topic of taking risks but in relation to the events over the past weekend at the Final Four.  (Apologies to those that don’t appreciate sports; I promise my next blog will feature a puppy analogy.)

Bryce Brown, a forward for the Auburn Tigers, took 10 three-point shots in their Final Four game against Virginia on Saturday.  He made only four of them.  From the sidelines, it’s easy to be frustrated when someone takes shot after shot and misses.  “Why does he keep shooting?”  “Why doesn’t he pass?”  The arena in Minneapolis is huge, but there is no way that Bryce couldn’t hear the frustrated groans from the fans when yet another shot clanked against the rim.

 

Two of the three-point shots that Bryce Brown made were back to back within the last 4 minutes of the game, closing Virginia’s lead to three and bringing the Tigers within spitting distance of their first National Championship game.  Think about it.  Your team is down by 9 with less than 5 minutes left in the game.  You’ve missed all but two shots.  The ball is passed to you.  Do you take yet another shot or pass the ball to another teammate, hoping that they will save the day?

I contend that we need to be a bit like Bryce in the pursuit of opportunities for our business.  We need to be relentless in trying new things -- even if all voices (including sometimes the ones in our own head) tell us that we need to give up.   We also need to be like his teammates who encouraged him to keep trying, consistently passing him the ball even after he missed shot after shot.

Auburn ended up losing by 1 in a heartbreaking foul in the last second of the game.  But without the team culture that encouraged Bryce to keep taking those risky three-point shots, the score never may have gotten that close.

Jen Rother is an avid Duke fan and Vice President of Strategy & Insights.