What A Hard Rock Singer Had To Say About Risk-Taking

So many things need to be reinvented: the way we eat, get around, shop, build houses, feed people, produce energy, teach our kids, build organizations, build teams, manufacture products, etc.

The opportunities to start a valuable company are almost endless.

Knowledge and technology are so abundant that they are not a problem either.

Anything is possible: that’s our society’s narrative.

So why is meaningful progress not happening faster?

Why are we still hesitant to make the critical calls and switch to technologies that create a net positive impact on our planet, for instance?

The enemy is the status quo, the pressure to conform that slows down the speed of innovation adoption.

As a business leader, redefining the way we’ve previously done something requires that you stick your neck out.

The early adopters of your product also take a risk by agreeing to change a habit, potentially abandon something they love, and try something new. It’s a lot to ask them.

Like David Lee Roth, lead singer of the hard rock band Van Halen said:

“You stick your head above the crowd and attract attention, and sometimes somebody will throw a rock at you.”

The question is not if someone will throw a rock at you, but when.

So get ready and take a chance. Learn to take the hit as early as possible, and after, keep going.