The complexity of today’s challenges makes potential solutions risky. Showing you’re willing to take the risk makes others more confident in doing the same. If they’re still concerned, you might need to work through their discomfort.
Jumping first is risky. In truth, you’ll fall sometimes. But changing the world is worth the risk.
I learned on an effort that eventually vaccinated 1 billion children in less than 20 years.
Here are a few tips on how to convince others to take risks.
- Get outside the box. Make it a priority, and a part of your processes, to seek opinions from those not on the core team.
- Jump first. Sometimes you’ll need to get ahead of yourself and even your team to get someone on board.
- Take concerns as a challenge. The caution and trepidations of a potential partner should never be dismissed, nor should they be seen as a death sentence. On the contrary, they can point to actual weaknesses in your assumptions and propel you to strengthen your case and to win over other wobblers.
- Do your homework. Whenever you do the work required to make good on your promise, get it right.
- Remember your promises. Jumping is stressful; treat those who joined you well.
From the book:
To deliver dramatic, transformative change, you’ll have to find ways to get people to take risks with you. That will often require you to “jump first.” I had to do just that to help create the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm) and change the international vaccine distribution landscape. Sometimes this will require you to get a bit ahead of yourself, your team, or your partners. But showing that you’re willing to take risks will make others more likely to follow suit, as I learned on an effort that eventually vaccinated 1 billion children in less than 20 years.