Comments to: crs@uvm.eduReviewed as of 4/20/98
THIS DOCUMENT WAS PRODUCED BY THE NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL LEADERSHIP
PROGRAM. IT IS POSTED BY THE CENTER FOR RURAL STUDIES FOR PUBLIC
USE. THE CENTER FOR RURAL STUDIES ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE CONTENTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO THE USERS GUIDE.
UNIT 3: DEVELOPING THE ABILITY TO RISK
INTRODUCTION
Leaders need to understand the importance of taking risks for
personal growth and the development of personal power. Power is,
in part, the ability to do things. To the degree that you learn
that you're able to do things, especially things that you have not
done before, you're able to grow more powerful as a leader.
Taking risks means doing things that do not have a certain
outcome. When trying new things, there is always the possibility
of failure, and the fear of failure keeps many people from ever
risking something new or unknow. Overcoming the fear of failure is
the crucial first step in taking risks. You can overcome that fear
by realizing that risk-taking is a positive experience in and of
itself, regardless of the outcome, because it builds confidence in
your ability to accept and confront challenges.
When you take a risk that has an unsuccessful outcome, you not
only learn a great deal about the subject and yourself, but you are
also in a much better position to make successful attempts later.
Furthermore, you successfully overcome fears of your own
limitations. Of course, a risk that is successfully taken is an
important personal achievement that attests to your ability to
handle challenges.
Taking risks also builds confidence in your skills. Because,
by definition, the risks you undertake are new experiences, there
is no way for you to know the "right" way through the experience.
You are learning and honing your skills as you go along.
Everything you do along the way, even the so-called "mistakes," are
guideposts to the learning that happens when you take risks. You
are expanding the limits of what you think you can do.
Taking risks is an exercise in exploring new territory, which
is one of the reasons it is such an important aspect of leadership.
Leaders are often pursuing visions that are not yet reality; they
are constantly moving into the unknown. Eliminating your fears of
the unknown by learning the value of taking risks causes you, as a
leader, to see and appreciate possibilities, opportunities, and
solutions that others may not be able to see.
ASSUMPTIONS
þ Adults are learning and changing all the time. In
risk situations, we can learn a great deal about
ourselves and about new areas of experience.
þ Once you learn to minimize the fears and dangers of
risks, subsequent and larger risks become easier to
take.
þ Successful risk-taking builds confidence, while
failures build character. Every risk, no matter
whether the outcome is successful, is an
accomplishment and contains lessons that should be
understood.
þ Taking a risk involves trying something unknown,
which builds courage, a necessary trait for
leaders. It also may lead you to new insights and
answers to problems, another important result for
leaders.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
þ Understand the value of taking risks and doing
something new.
þ Learn how to take risks while managing fears of
failure, etc.
þ Learn to assess levels of risk and benefit in
various alternative actions.
þ Learn to take social risks that have the benefit of
giving you useful information about yourself and
others.
þ Learn to minimize the risk of expressing strong
feelings by experimenting with ways of expressing
anger.
Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98