Tarran Deane

by Tarran Deane

Those are Some Mighty Big Long Horns, M’am!

Having just returned from my #USA2018 #LeadershipImmersionRetreat that I hosted, I wanted to share some insights this month on the Dignity of Risk and the benefits of a Pioneer Spirit, after being inspired by the Texas Long Horn Cattle. Man, they had big horns. Seriously.

There are often threats to our safety – real and perceived, and being able to distinguish between those two is empowering and releases you to fully get on with the work at hand.

But not everyone sees it that way…

Leaders will often recognise the threats to personal safety or brand reputation when reviewing their service offerings – and their conduct. It’s not uncommon for senior leaders to suffer from “paralysis by analysis”, much to the frustration of their team, as programs or services are cancelled out of fear or public opinion.

In Fort Worth, Texas, we saw first-hand how it is possible to deliver your work in such a way that people – colleagues and customers – take responsibility for themselves, know the risks at hand and trust that experienced “cowboys” will be steering the “herd” and driving your “vision” forward.

We were strangers on the sideline here in Fort Worth and had no structured reason to feel safe yet we did. We respected the surroundings and the history. We didn’t fight with the Cowboys or the cattle. Instead, we observed, were very aware of our surroundings and trusted those in front of us to LEAD us.

Take a few minutes to watch my video on this and challenge your team to break through paralysis by analysis, and let go of fear this month to embrace the dignity of risk and be bold!