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The blogosphere pundits who write about leadership will exhort you to take a stand and stand for something. On the one hand, they support a noble cause. A life that is passive, withdrawn, or timid, is not a life that is lived to the full.

The same pundits don’t warn about risks or how to identify and overcome them, or even to be careful. The most egregious of them will even say, “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!” After all, if something goes wrong, they won’t be around to fix what broke, they have already moved on to the next set of victims who will buy into their irrational hype.

You must take a stand to lead a full life, enjoy it to the hilt, and become the best you can be.  Be calculated in your moves, not capricious. Do proper risk assessment, don’t gamble. Be bold, don’t be rash. A civilized society makes sure every driver has training and a license before they are allowed to drive automobiles. Similarly, you must undergo proper training before you learn how to push the envelope in your leadership roles.

The world is not perfect and neither are you. You will suffer losses and heartbreaks. Your losses may even outnumber your wins. It is irresponsible to not try to be anything less than 100% aware of your actions. The story of Don Quixote may sound interesting and funny, but there is nothing funny about hardships created by those who are impulsive, unreliable, or undependable.