Saying 'safe is risky' doesn't make it any less safe

'Safe is risky' - we've all heard this a million times from motivational speakers and others that offer nicely-packaged business soundbites that simply roll off the tongue.

It's not that I disagree with the sentiment behind the saying, but the reality is that 'safe is safe' for a reason.

People choose options that they perceive to be safe, because the alternative (riskier paths) carry heightened levels of uncertainty, which breach their internal threshold for investment of time and money.

Simply saying that 'safe is risky' doesn't actually make it any less safe.

Safe options are not necessarily bad options; in fact, in the absence of an ability to make sound judgments when faced with uncertainty - choosing safe options are far better then taking risky, poorly-calculated gambles.

However, clear strategic advantage lies at the other end of the ability to take more calculated bets under conditions of uncertainty. This kind of competence doesn't magically arise from repeating a mantra.

Safe is safe, risky is risky.

Winners are those that can face risk head-on and are more capable and skilled choices to navigate the risk  in order to achieve remarkable outcomes that others can't.