Are you a risk-taker?
We’ve had a few heated discussions about ‘risk’ recently, partly because Kenton, our Co-Founder, has been weighing up many risks during his Everest expedition and partly because it seems to be a ‘flavour of the month’ topic for a number of our clients. Of course, it is well documented that innovations are often stumbled upon when there is a certain tolerance to risk-taking in organisations, but the concept can be a little frightening. With risk comes the possibility of losing money, losing face, damaging the organisation’s reputation, and perhaps even losing your job.
However, we are firm believers that when organisational culture empowers team members to take risks, experiment, and learn, there is only one outcome: continuous improvement. This kind of behaviour doesn’t happen automatically; it starts with leadership.
What steps can leaders take to foster an environment of continuous improvement?
1. Create a Safe Space for Experimentation
The foundation for risk-taking is psychological safety—the belief that team members won’t be punished or ridiculed for speaking up, admitting mistakes, or suggesting bold ideas. Leaders can foster this by encouraging open dialogue, showing genuine curiosity, and responding constructively to failure.
2. Change the Narrative – Failure is also Learning
Leaders who reframe failure as a way of learning – rather than a source of blame – set the tone for innovation. Objective debriefing after projects (successful or not) helps teams extract insights and move forward stronger. Celebrating inputs, effort and initiative, not just outcomes, reinforces this mindset.
3. Lead by Example
Teams take cues from their leaders (remember when we wrote about ‘casting a shadow’?). When leaders step out of comfort and take calculated risks, admit when they don’t have all the answers, and stay curious, they are modelling behaviours they want to see in their teams.
4. Set Clear Boundaries for Risk-Taking
While experimentation is important, it should be guided by clear goals and values. Leaders can define “safe-to-fail” zones – areas where innovation is encouraged and the consequences of failure are manageable. This helps teams balance creativity with accountability.
5. Provide the Right Resources and Support
Taking risks requires time, tools, and training. Leaders should ensure their teams have access to what they need – whether it’s professional development, cross-functional collaboration, or simply permission to slow down and think creatively (“Tinker Time” as coined by Bill Gates).
6. Recognise and Reward Progress
Acknowledging and praising team members who take initiative, challenge the status quo, or improve processes – regardless of immediate success – sends a powerful message. It shows that innovation and improvement are not only encouraged, but celebrated.
By actively developing and supporting a productive culture of risk-taking and continuous improvement, leaders unlock their team’s full potential and foster a culture where learning, growth, and innovation thrive.
Did you know that Kenton Cool offers a fantastic keynote entitled, Risk-Taking: Lessons from the Death Zone. Contact us for more details!
