Blog

Why be a Balanced Risk Taker?

The idea of being a Balanced Risk Taker is all about finding the right balance between taking risks and ensuring safety. There is no doubt that taking risks can create fear and anxiety, but this also contributes to important personal development. In order to grow, we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and try new and more difficult challenges. This is why we both encourage our students to take risks, while emphasising the importance of doing so in a risk-assessed manner.

There are multiple benefits to being a Balanced Risk Taker. Primarily, taking risks builds both confidence and resilience. When we take on new challenges and succeed, we feel a sense of accomplishment and our self-efficacy and self-esteem grow. If we fail but can understand that this is a ‘OK, so I can’t do this quite yet’ failure, rather than a judgement of us as a person, we learn valuable lessons that can help us to grow and improve in the future. By taking risks in a safe and supportive environment, our students build the resilience they will lean on to overcome the future challenges they will inevitably face throughout their lives.

Another consequence of being a Balanced Risk Taker is that it fosters creativity and innovation. When we take risks, usually when we are doing something new or different, we are forced to think outside of our previous experiences and develop innovative solutions to overcome these new or different problems. This is a valuable skill that will serve young people well in all areas of their lives. Whether they go on to become entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, doctors, or anything else, the ability to think creatively and innovate will be a key factor in their ability to generate their own success.

Examining the strategic intentions of Tintern’s Forward Strategy Our Focus, Your Future, looks at the reasons for emphasising the importance and benefits to young people of becoming Balanced Risk Takers, the third of Tintern Grammar’s four graduate outcomes.

Our School and community are renowned for their focus on character development as well as academic excellence. Tintern we believe that encouraging students to take calculated risks in a safe and supportive environment is crucial to their personal growth and future success.

At Tintern Grammar, we believe that being a Balanced Risk Taker is also essential for developing leadership skills. To lead effectively, one must be willing to take calculated risks, make bold decisions and demonstrate commitment. By encouraging our students to take risks in a responsible manner, we are helping to prepare them for leadership roles in the future.

Of course, being a Balanced Risk Taker cannot mean simply being reckless or impulsive. It is about taking measured and considered risks that have the potential to lead to growth and positive outcomes. We emphasise the importance of assessing the risks and benefits of any given situation and making an informed decision based on that analysis. By doing so, our students develop the judgment and decision-making skills that will serve them well in all areas of their lives.

Being a Balanced Risk Taker is a crucial part of personal development and success. Encouraging young people to take risks in a responsible and calculated manner is essential for building confidence, resilience, creativity, innovation, and leadership skills. By providing a safe and supportive environment for our students to take on new challenges, we are helping to prepare them for their future success.

factis non verbis

Bradley Fry | Principal, Tintern Grammar