Core value · Wonder family
Risk-taking
Backing yourself when the outcome is uncertain
Also covers Risk
What does risk-taking mean as a core value?
Risk-taking as a core value means being willing to make considered bets when the outcome is uncertain, accepting that some will fail, in pursuit of things worth having.
Certainty is overrated, as far as you’re concerned. Most things worth having come with no guarantee, so you’d rather make a considered bet and back yourself than wait for a safe option that never arrives. Holding risk-taking as a core value means sizing up the odds, accepting that some bets won’t pay off, and deciding that the regret of never trying would be worse. You may feel most alive when something real is at stake.
What does risk-taking look like in practice?
- You leave a secure job to start something of your own.
- You put forward the unconventional proposal knowing it could be rejected in front of everyone.
- You invest time or money in an idea before the evidence is conclusive.
- You back an unproven person for a big role because you’ve seen what they could do.
- You decide what you’re prepared to lose before you commit, then commit fully.
When is risk-taking overplayed?
The cost of risk-taking often lands on other people. Family finances, a team’s stability or a partner’s peace of mind can end up underwriting bets they didn’t choose. Taken too far, the thrill of the gamble becomes the point, and each win encourages a bigger stake. Cautious voices can start to sound timid when they’re simply seeing the downside clearly. Good risk-taking is deliberate: it sizes the downside and sometimes walks away. Before the next big bet, you could ask the people exposed to it what they’d be comfortable losing.
Often confused with
Risk-taking vs Courage
Courage is acting in spite of fear, often to do what’s right. Risk-taking is choosing uncertainty in pursuit of a gain, and some risk-takers feel little fear at all.
Risk-taking vs Adventure
Adventure seeks new and exciting experiences. Risk-taking is about the stakes: a decision made at a desk can be a big risk and no adventure at all.
Risk-taking vs Confidence
Confidence is trusting your abilities. Risk-taking is acting when the outcome is uncertain, including when your abilities alone can’t guarantee it.
Questions to sit with
- What is the biggest risk you’ve talked yourself out of in the last five years, and do you regret it?
- Who else carries the downside of the risks you take, and have you asked them?
- How do you tell the difference between a bold bet and one you want to make for the thrill?
More values in Wonder
Curiosity, adventure and the thrill of the new.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
Find your own
Is Risk-taking one of your core values?
Choose from 155 values, narrow them down to the few that matter most, and get a personal report to keep. Free, and it takes about 15 minutes.
Find your core values