The Risk Factor: Why Every Organization Needs Big Bets, Bold Characters, and the Occasional Spectacular Failure

by Deborah Perry Piscione

Our most revered business icons of the last few decades are the bold risktakers, such as Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs. Yet in today's stock market-driven economy, companies are playing it safe, with too many leaders focused on short-term gains, rather than value creation. The result is a static business culture that generates forgettable results―even as the world demands big solutions. So how do we get back in the risk-taking game? In The Risk Factor , Deborah Perry Piscione takes the most comprehensive look at this crucial, undervalued leadership behavior, and outlines how companies must support risk-taking across the enterprise. Exploring the heroes of risk, including entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and technologists, and the role risk-taking and failure tolerance play in their success, she makes a compelling case not only for big, flashy mergers or acquisitions, but also for unorthodox choices in everything from leadership to corporate social responsibility. Drawing on case studies from a wide range of now-famous giants (Netflix, Salesforce) and successful start-ups (Tesla, NetApp), she distills lessons for both new entrepreneurs and established companies whose longtime risk aversion has cost them more than they realize.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2014

Reviews

[Ranjeeth R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started reading the book looking at the topic and thought there will be new perspectives about risk. But looks like the author is riding on the success of previous book about Silicon valley. This is like a continuation of that book (which I have not read and not intending to read). She has just handpicked few companies how they challenged conventional thinking and changed the course of their fortune. If you are an MBA grad, you would have studied better case studies than all that is put together in this book. Few points about patents and IP were the new learnings. Rest all were trash. One of the books that wasted my time.

[yyyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great hints about the leadership thoughts in different area.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.