Leaders take risks: not because they want to but because they must. As leaders, we often find ourselves in uncharted territory due to the natural process of change. Unexpected obstacles will cause us to take unexpected paths and then we must have the ability to give unexpected direction. These things must take place else we find ourselves staring at fear itself and this prevents us as leaders from continuing in the direction we pursue.

Not taking risks, staring fear face to face, leaves leaders in static position. Anyone that knows about climbing knows that there are two different types of rope. There are static ropes that do not stretch and then there are dynamic ropes that stretch when force is exerted on them. Climbers use dynamic ropes because when they fall the rope stretches and slows the speed of the fall. This prevents the climber from breaking their back which is what would happen if they took a fall on a static rope that does not stretch. Static means sudden impact and that means serious injury or death.

Leaders must be dynamic because when they take on risks there is a chance they will fall. They must be dynamic enough to take a fall with the load of team and still survive. We as leaders could avoid risks at all costs but then we find ourselves off course. A risk is an obstacle that must be overcome in order to keep moving in the direction we pursue. Dynamic leaders keep moving and static leaders get caught up in what ifs.

There are three ways to handle risks if risks truly are obstacles to be overcome. We can climb over the top of them, go around them or go straight through them. Perhaps the easiest is to go around the risk and avoid it completely but often we do not have that luxury. The middle option is to climb directly over it but often the entire team is not equipped or trained to do so. This leaves us the most common option of busting through it.

Engaging a risk means getting our hands dirty as well as getting bruised and beat up sometimes. Leaders do not avoid risks but engage them to learn from the mistakes made and to lay out a path for others to follow. Situational Awareness is one method of engaging risks. Situation awareness requires us to take a 360 degree assessment of the situation at hand to prevent tunnel vision on the risk.

Looking at where you have been and where you are currently will help you decide on how to engage the risk so you can reach for where you are headed. Looking at the factors involved even when they do not necessarily apply to the risk directly will often provide insight after the risk has been engaged. The goal for leaders is not to avoid risks but to engage them so that they learn from their mistakes and triumphs.