Risk Taking Leads to Reward

My Temple University School of Communications & Theater commencement speech was two weeks ago, but the message is still relevant – one I hope the graduates took to heart.

It applies to all of us. That is – you need to believe in yourself, and have the courage to take calculated risks.

Do you remember when you were an elementary school student playing on the jungle gym? In order to get across the bars, you had to be willing to let go of one hand, and place it on the next rung. Drop a hand, grab, drop a hand, grab.

If you aren’t willing to let go -- of old thinking, old behaviors, old habits, you will continually be stuck.

I was asked this question when I was deciding whether to take a risk and launch my own business -- giving up a tenured teaching position at a college -- “What’s the worst that could happen?”

Notice – the word “could” not “would.”

Don’t always think in negative terms. The chances that the worst could happen if you do take a risk are small.

The second question to ask yourself is, “And, then what?”

There will always be a “then what?” What will you do if the risk doesn’t pan out the way you wanted it to?

What are the risks you would like to take?

I encourage you to go for them!

Keep in mind what Thomas Edison said, “If we all did what we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.”

By the way, here are the four key ideas that I gave the Temple graduates:

1)Play to your strengths and passion for greater success

2)Market yourself continually and professionally

3)Be open to all possibilities

4)Take calculated risks

Recent Graduates -- Or Any Professional -- Be Open to All Possibilities

Good news. By all accounts and feedback, my Temple commencement address went well.

Soon it can be seen on YouTube and on our web site.

The audience got involved, and I had fun.

If you haven’t been following my blog, last week I was the keynote graduation speaker for the School of Communications & Theater at Temple University. There were 675 graduates, and another 2,000 plus (family, friends, faculty, etc) in attendance.

I must admit, I was stressed – but well-prepared!

The first two points I covered (which I wrote about in my last two weekly blog posts) were:

1)Play to your strengths and passion for greater success

2)Market yourself continually and professionally

The third point is: Be open to all possibilities.

The world is different now than when these graduates entered college, and it will continue to change.

The class of 2009 can’t afford to think in silos. This fresh crop of college graduates needs to be open-minded as to where they can apply their talents and skills.

If things don’t exist, or graduates have a tough time finding such “perfect” opportunities, they need to look for new ways to create them.

Where would the talents of a broadcast major fit? What nontraditional “platforms” can a theater major perform on?

Flexibility and creativity are key for new graduates. Continuing their education – whether formal or informal – will be essential.

The challenge for graduates is to focus on the next steps of learning.

My mantra is, “If you aren’t green and growing, you are ripe and rotting.”

Although my presentation was to recent college graduates, this message is valuable for all business professionals.

Next week, I’ll share my fourth strategy for new graduates. Stay tuned!