… unlock your potential in only 2 minutes per month

 If your diary is anything like mine, I bet you are forever book-marking articles and newsletters with the idea that you will read them when you have the time. With the pressure of day to day work, it is so easy to skip the stuff that you know is important to your longer term development. We’ve designed Time 2 …as an antidote to the “I’ll read it tomorrow” reality of the modern workplace. The idea is simple. Every month we will send you a newsletter based on one of our 7 themes of leadership:

·         Learning from different perspectives

·         Innovation and creativity

·         Opening minds and changing mindsets

·         Building trust

·         Stretching comfort zones

·         Risk-taking

·         Living with uncertainty

It will be short enough to read in 2 minutes, but big enough to be packed full of ideas and inspiration to help you and your team fulfil your full potential. We will include links to more in depth articles and learning materials to help you take the inspiration further.

Anne Lonsdale, Founder, vita-brevis

Issue 1 – Risk Taking

WHY TAKE RISKS?

Risk taking is one of the defining differences between leaders and Managers.

"Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down." - Ray Bradbury

When great leaders see an opportunity, they are able to decide quickly whether it is a risk worth taking. Leaders accept responsibility for the choices they make in life. The bottom line is that they realize that the decisions they make are all theirs. They take full responsibility for failure as well as success.

Two things you can do to help yourself to become more of a risk-taker are ……….

1 Develop Your Resilience Muscle: Bounce Back From Setbacks.

2 Disarm That Sneaky Inner Saboteur: The “Yes, but …” voice.

DEVELOPING A RISK CULTURE

The most important single thing that you can do to encourage others to be prepared to take risks is to: Take risks yourself

When the risks pay off: Celebrate success

When the risks don’t pay off: Learn from setbacks

A FORMULA FOR RISK TAKING

Goal ………… So what is it that you need to do?

Will………….Are you really committed to getting it done? Where there is doubt, there is analysis paralysis. Goethe said "The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety."

Action……… Are you prepared to live with the consequences? Helen Keller wrote "Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

 LEADERSHIP IN PRINT    
 “Pour Your Heart Into It” is the story of one of the greatest business success stories of the last 20 years. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, tells the inspiring story of the company’s meteoric rise from humble beginnings. Schultz shows that if you are genuinely passionate about your vision for success, then you can make brave decisions and live with the consequences. This is a must-read book if you want to get inspired to be more of a risk-taker. Click here >> to buy it at Amazon.com.

  
 RISK & REWARD 
 We would like to hear about your experiences of embracing risk taking. What have you done recently that was a step in to the unknown? We will print the best reply in our next issue of Time 2 …, and the author will receive a free copy of Howard Schultz’s book “Pour Your Heart In To It”. Write to us at mailto:info@vitabrevis.com

HEALTH RISK

Our modern office lifestyle is taking a toll on our bodies. We simply weren’t designed to spend our days like this. Don’t be afraid to fight the stress and the inertia. Companies as diverse as Kwik-Fit and Apple are now offering their teams daily yoga and meditation sessions. Click here to find 6 yoga stretches that you can do at your desk now >>

RISK & PERFORMANCE

What drives people to take risks? What happens to us emotionally and physically when we get out of our comfort zones? Here is a great article if you want to understand more about how we work from a physiological perspective. It is also a great website to explore. Click here >>

 WORTH THE RISK 
Why do species that take risks in hard times survive to propagate? Why, as studies suggest, are risk-takers considered more sexually attractive, have more financial success, more friends and better careers? Radio 4 recently broadcast a fascinating programme about risk-taking, looking at the evolutionary benefits and possible genetic causes of risky behaviour. To listen, click here >> (You will need to have RealPlayer - if you haven't, click here >>  and then on the right of the page, where it says "Download the Free RealPlayer only"

REMEMBER 
 While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. 
 Henry C. Link

NEXT ISSUE

The next issue of Time 2 … will focus on Creativity & Innovation. It will be with you next month.

CONTACT US:

Tel: +44 (0)1250 884721 or email: info@vita-brevis.com