20 years ago I was introduced to a game of strategy (and world domination) called RISK. Several friends and I became obsessed with this game during our senior year in college. I guess it was our version of Dungeons and Dragons, The Gathering or Doom. We were obsessed with this game about military strategy. Though I'm known today as somewhat of a strategy expert, it took me quite a while to learn the nuances of RISK.
20 years later not much has changed. My wife, 10 year old son and I sat down to three 2 hour sessions attacking and defending in pursuit of territories, continents and ultimately the world. In the end my wife, Cheryl, was triumphant (as usual). My son Ben and I were dispatched in a cold and methodical fashion. Where we would joke and let our emotions take us where they would, my dear Cheryl would refuse to let emotion enter in at all. She was focused and determined. Her mind was never far from her next attack.
If you look at the game from the rulebook it's about world domination, but if you look at RISK from the human perspective Ben and I had more fun. So in a way, we both won.
My life story (both personally and in business)has been one of risk. But it's also been one of fear of success. I guess I've always wanted the world to think of me as a success but I've learned that I've got to believe it and have a strategy before there can be any real success. Risk with no strategy is foolishness. On occassion foolishness can be a good thing. But when risk is the strategy, in the end you will lose... and lose big.
So what's your strategy for risk?
