Читать книгу Stop Playing Safe - Margie Warrell - Страница 7

The first edition of this book was written nearly a decade ago, during my first year living back in Australia after over a decade in the USA. At the time, many people were still regaining their footing in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis which had shaken their sense of security. As fear ran high, I drew on the insights of leaders I'd worked with, as well as my own research, to help people ‘rethink risk’ and move boldly forward amid the uncertainty.

This revised second edition has been written after another global move — this time from Singapore back to the USA — and another, even greater, global crisis. I think it's fair to say the COVID-19 pandemic jolted our sense of security and raised the ‘fear factor’ to whole new levels.

As I witnessed people making irrational decisions driven solely by fear (one person I knew cashed in their entire retirement savings, fearing Armageddon was nigh), I felt compelled to update this book and streamline it.

Of course, there will always be legitimate reasons for going with the safest option. Yet when uncertainty looms large, we must be all the more vigilant to discern between the fears that are serving us and those that are driving us to make overly cautious decisions in our work, in how we live and how we lead. Because while playing it too safe can provide a short-term sense of security, it ultimately keeps us from taking the very actions that would help us become more secure — individually and collectively — over the longer term.

While the world may feel like a riskier place today, the truth is that there have always been risks. The difference is that in today's digital 24/7 world, we're now continually bombarded with information that makes life appear riskier. Only when we dare to ‘lean towards risk’ and venture onto new ground can we seize the opportunities hidden within our challenges, turning our setbacks into stepping stones, and leading ourselves and others to higher ground and a more, not less, secure world.

So if the title of this book spoke to you, it wasn't by chance. I hope the pages that follow will embolden you to embrace uncertainty and take the risks required to open up new possibilities for you and those around you.

In today’s culture of fear, daring to rise above our instinctual desire to play it safe, to take brave action amid the risks, has become ever more imperative.