Bezos was asked where he gets the confidence to even attempt to build companies of such massive scale, like Amazon and Blue Origin.
“I think it’s generally human nature to overestimate risk and underestimate opportunity. And so I think entrepreneurs in general would be well-advised to try and bias against that. The risks are probably not as big as you perceive, and the opportunities may be bigger than you perceive… You say it’s confidence, but maybe I’m just accepting that human bias and trying to compensate against it. The second thing I would point out is that thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
So worrying too much about risks and not seeing opportunities can stop people and companies from achieving their goals.
Thinking small, or holding limiting beliefs, can indeed become a self-fulfilling prophecy, meaning that expecting poor outcomes can lead to those outcomes actually occurring.
If a leader assumes a team member is not capable of taking on a challenging project, they might not give them the opportunity, thus limiting their growth and potential.
If a manager expects a subordinate to perform poorly, they might subtly treat them differently (e.g., less training, fewer opportunities), which can lead to the subordinate’s performance actually declining.
If you think big you will:
✔️See problems as challenges and opportunities
✔️Be positive
✔️Think of things you can do, not things you can’t
✔️Plan what is possible, not worry about what is impossible
✔️Be fearless
✔️Be creative
✔️Be able to dream and visualize what you want
Thinking big means:
☀️Taking a radical approach and risks when necessary, always questioning traditional assumptions in pursuit of the best idea.
☀️Creating a gutsy mission that employees can be inspired by and get behind. Providing direction for how to get there and explaining how everything fits into the long-term plan.
☀️Continually communicating the big picture and mission to the team in a manner that gets employees excited.
☀️Actively exploring new ideas from team members, encouraging risk taking when appropriate.
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