We all know that sometimes it’s necessary to take managed risk. Taking no risks locks us into more-of-the-same performance. In a world of constant change, that’s also a recipe for low agility, low performance and (ultimately) avoidable failures.
Most of us also understand what risk leadership looks like for managers and staff on a day-to-day basis. It means being alert to uncertainties of all kinds, having the courage to speak up even when that feels risky and it means being prepared to take managed risks when that is appropriate.
We are more likely to struggle with the risk leadership challenges faced by senior leaders. For example:
How to deal with systemic and/or strategic sources of risk that are so interconnected that it is unclear how to deal with each one, let alone optimise our investment in risk treatments as a whole.
How to build an organisation that is capable of thriving even in a complex, fast changing and highly uncertain environment. Culture and risk leadership are crucial, but are not enough by themselves.
How to educate and train people at all levels to deal well with risks that are (or can be) complex, interconnected, intangible and fast changing.
How to avoid failures that in hindsight were visible and could have been managed.
These are real, practical risk leadership challenges in today’s world. Not sure, or don’t see what you can do? A great first step is to do RiskIQ’s free, no-obligation Preview Capability-agility Survey. Find out more: https://www.riskiq.com.au/preview-survey-offer.
It’s quick and easy and will provide you with clear initial insights into how and why your organisation or project experiences avoidable failures or poor risk management outcomes.