Bold Part 2

The Positives and negatives of Bold action in an office situation

This week we continue with my Bold series and today we look at the positives and negatives of Bold action particularly in an office situation…

Bold individuals do not flourish in organizations since their existence threatens the existing hierarchy. Most organizations, be they public or private, rarely accept mavericks who decide to disrupt their status quo. Although it is a truism that the brave typically save the day, the brave player must be sacrificed in order to maintain the institution and the meek within it. Since the unsuccessful bold actor finally justifies the institution's meekness while the successful one challenges its foundation, it is therefore not surprising that the successful bold actor is sacrificed much faster than the unsuccessful one.

Before taking the bold action, the bold actor should think about what will happen after the brave action is taken.

The yardstick for success for the not so bold actor is longevity/loyalty while that of the bold actor is many short memorable careers.

The bold actor should not expect accolades from their peers as a reward for bold action rather they should be prepared to be sacrificed for the continued existence of the organization on behalf of the ones they acted for…The turnaround CEO who saves a company is the first to be fired by the reinvigorated company’s board. The innovator who changes the established order while blazing a trail through uncharted territory is often the first to be trampled by the following herds.

There is no value judgment...

One simply needs to understand the consequences of their choice; long successful career or short memorable career.