Greetings!
 | | The best part of the movie "Pearl Harbor" |
The opposite of minimizing risk is maximizing risk. Oh, good, you're awake! No, the opposite of minimizing risk is managing risk, of course! As the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." In the movie clip, President Roosevelt ordered a strike against the Japanese heartland following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Doolittle raid raised US morale and embarrassed the Japanese government, who had assured their citizens that the Japanese homeland would never be attacked. The Japanese redeployed four of their fighter groups to defend the homeland and decided to attack Midway in order to deliver the supposed coup de grace to the US Navy. We know the rest of the story.
Any US attempt to strike at the Japanese home islands at that time would have been extremely risky for the Americans. The perceived gains, however, were thought to be worth the risks involved. The Doolittle raid was conceived and executed with those same extreme risks in mind. Did the planners try to minimize the risks? No, they managed the risks. To offset the risk of moving their aircraft carriers close to Japan and losing them, they devised the option of launching land-based bombers from aircraft carriers. No one had ever launched land-based bombers from an aircraft carrier before. That risk factor was managed by training the crews to be able to take off from a much shorter runway than the bombers were designed for. Modifications to the bombers were made in order to extend their flight range for landing in China after the raid, for there was no way the bombers could have returned to land on the carrier USS Hornet. Yes, there was only one aircraft carrier involved. To get the true story, check out " Thirty Seconds over Tokyo". 
So, we see here that once a goal or a purpose has been shared, and people buy into that goal or purpose, all efforts would be focused on achieving that goal or purpose, in full cognizance of the possible losses that could be incurred. While I do not say that we should bet our HDB flat on it, a noble purpose, even a grim one, would galvanize us to proactive and innovative action. We would be energized to seek out solutions to situations and problems. Are you facing devil-or-deep-blue-sea situations? What is your purpose? Be clear about what your purpose is, and you will find answers to most, if not all, of your devil-or-deep-blue-sea situations. Who knows, with the kind of indomitable spirit which that sort of thinking engenders, we might even be able to influence SIA to regain the top spot in the sky as truly "A Great Way to Fly".
 So, if you find yourself having no other purpose than that of making money, I encourage you to seek deep within yourself to find out what you are meant to do and to be. Business gets a lot easier after that. At least you'll be far more focused and happier than you are now! And if you already have that purpose, innovate, adapt, and go for it! |
