I was told recently by one of my sons the early story of FedEx. The company was running out of funds and was down to its last $5,000 which was not enough to buy fuel so its planes could fly. The founder took all of the money, went to Las Vegas and gambled it all on black jack. He won $27,000, the planes flew and the rest as they say is history.
It sounds a bit reckless but as the founder said 'What difference does it make? Without the funds for the fuel companies, we couldn't have flown anyway.'
This made me think of the gamble of changing jobs and some career counselling I gave earlier this year to a professional who had both a chance to leave and an opportunity to stay. It's not an easy choice and of course depends on your personal circumstances and finances and the stage of your career you are at. I have during my working life so far both taken the gamble and stayed, and on another occasion taken the money and left.
A good way to think about this is I suggest to imagine yourself three years in the future and looking back on the decision. Will you regret not taking the gamble?
Maybe on balance as Deborah Moggach the author of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel writes "The only real failure is the failure to try."
It sounds a bit reckless but as the founder said 'What difference does it make? Without the funds for the fuel companies, we couldn't have flown anyway.'
This made me think of the gamble of changing jobs and some career counselling I gave earlier this year to a professional who had both a chance to leave and an opportunity to stay. It's not an easy choice and of course depends on your personal circumstances and finances and the stage of your career you are at. I have during my working life so far both taken the gamble and stayed, and on another occasion taken the money and left.
A good way to think about this is I suggest to imagine yourself three years in the future and looking back on the decision. Will you regret not taking the gamble?
Maybe on balance as Deborah Moggach the author of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel writes "The only real failure is the failure to try."
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