I am the first one to admit it. I’m not a risk-taker. You won’t see me jumping out of airplanes. I won’t be skiing down the challenging slopes. I don’t go on the rollercoasters with triple loops. I’m more of a steady-eddy, two-feet-on-the-ground kind of girl.

While in cases like this avoiding risk is okay, there is an element of experience or rush of adrenaline that I’m missing out on. The same is true in business. Those who take on some level of risk—and succeed—have a much greater, and often more financially rewarding, experience than those who don’t.

Today and tomorrow, Promotional Consultant Today shares what business author Lei Wang calls the “Risky Six”—ways to overcome fear and manage risk in business.

1. Harness Fear’s Positive Power: Wang explains that fear is an extremely powerful emotion—and thus, an extremely powerful motivational tool. When facing fear, the normal response is fight or flight. Flight is to let the fear and the worry take control of your mind. Fight is turning fear into a positive risk management response, forcing you to focus and actively do your best to overcome the present situation. When you take a leap of faith to confront a new career challenge, instead of worrying “What if I fail?” imagine you have no opportunity to back out. Instead of letting the fear hold you back, take that first step, and turn fear into a positive strength that compels you to focus and make your best effort.

2. Act Early, Act Decisively: Rather than waiting until your industry or department becomes dispensable, proactively manage your career growth; learn new skills and think ahead of the curve continually to prevent a career crisis from happening. Anticipate problems and act early and decisively; waiting only diminishes the chances for success. Practice facing fear by taking chances. Even if you fail the first time, you should try again. Start with a small task, such as a new project, something you have never done. The more you try, the easier it will become to overcome fear.

3. Separate Probability From Consequences: Many working professionals are afraid of taking risks because the probability of success appears low and the consequences of failure are frightening. When you think about the consequences of failure, it is important to recognize the difference between the immediate consequences and the ultimate consequences.

For example, the probability that a new startup will succeed is low, and the immediate consequence could be losing investment money. For any new product launch or new job, there is a chance of failure, and losing your current position. However, not taking the risk means that the ultimate consequence is failure because you never tried to begin with.

A low probability of success should not be the reason holding you back, as long as the temporary consequences of failure are recoverable. Be more mindful of the ultimate consequence of not taking that chance.

You have to calculate and make the best decisions under the circumstances and constraints of your knowledge and vision. Even a calculated risk can prove wrong sometimes, but when you take a chance you have the opportunity to learn and grow.

Learn three more ways to look at risk in tomorrow’s issue of PCT.

Source: Lei Wang is an internationally recognized adventurer, motivational speaker and author of After the Summit: New Rules for Reaching Your Peak Potential in Your Career and Life. The first Asian woman to complete the Explorers Grand Slam (climbing the highest peak on each continent and skiing to both poles), Wang channels her experiences to convey a message of perseverance and steadfast determination that her audiences can use at work and at home.