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Most successful people are people who take risks -calculated risks - but nevertheless, risks.
Consider the case of the rising young executive who suddenly found himself unemployed when his company went through a downsizing.
When he asked "Why me?" the vice president, who was the young man's superior, explained that he was too conservative in the way he did his job. "Things have gotten more competitive," the VP explained. "Our people have to look at things from different angles and they have to take risks.
And when they take risks, they have to believe they'll succeed. That's where you come up short."
For six months the young man tried to get a job and failed. Then one day he met a retired circus tightrope walker. The two had something in common - time on their hands. Before long, the unemployed executive became an accomplished tightrope walker.
He became so good that he and his circus mentor were asked to participate in a televised charity event at Niagara Falls, and the young man invited his former boss to attend. "I'll show him who can take risks," he said.
All went well at the event. The young man successfully crossed the falls on the tightrope, followed by his circus mentor, who also pushed a wheelbarrow across. The vice president congratulated the young man and then dared him to cross over the falls again, this time pushing the wheelbarrow. "You can do it if you believe you can," said the vice president.
"Do you believe I can?" the young man asked his former boss.
"Yes, I do," the vice president replied.
"Okay," said the young man, "get in the wheelbarrow."
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