In a blog post concerning risk and opportunity, adapted from his new book The Earned Life, the renowned leadership expert and bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith talks about how important it is to weigh opportunity and risks.
Goldsmith writes, “To weigh decisions that require something other than technological help, you can use what I have identified as the Triple As of Action, Ambition, and Aspiration to help you figure out what might work best for you. Aspiration refers to what we do in the service of a higher purpose in our life. The time horizon for aspiration is infinite — we always aspire, we are always becoming something and someone more. Ambition represents focus on achieving defined goals. It is time-bound, determined by how long it takes to achieve a goal. Action represents our activities at a specific moment in time. Action’s time horizon is immediate, forever in the Now. Distinguishing these three time dimensions and seeing how well they serve one another (or not) can influence how close we come to living an earned life.”
McDonald’s weighed opportunity and risk and decided the risks were too great to remain in Russia. After more than three decades in Russia, McDonald’s put its Russian business up for sale. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced many companies that hoped to operate as normal to take action. Under growing employee and consumer pressure, many brands and restaurant chains have paused or ended their operations in Russia. The McDonald’s have reopened under new Russian ownership and under a new name.
In The Earned Life Goldsmith uncovers the source of today’s existential crises, including regrets that stem from choices that irrevocably alter our lives, reroute destinies, and haunt our memories. These are particularly timely themes today.
With Goldsmith’s book as a guide, readers can close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done—even in a world full of inescapable unfairness and curveballs—and live an earned life that is fulfilling in the long run.
You can read Marshall Goldsmith’s blog here.
About MARSHALL GOLDSMITH
Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized for years as the world’s leading executive coach and the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Mojo, and Triggers. He received his Ph.D. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. In his coaching practice, Goldsmith has advised more than 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He and his wife live in Nashville, Tennessee.
About THE EARNED LIFE
In THE EARNED LIFE (Currency Books), Marshall Goldsmith uncovers the source of today’s existential crisis: regret, the kind stemming from choices that irrevocably alter our lives, reroutes destinies, and haunts our memories—particularly timely themes as the pandemic and Great Resignation inspire people to seek meaning in their lives, get unstuck and make changes. With this book as their guide, readers can close the gap between what they plan to achieve and what they actually get done—even in a world full of inescapable unfairness and curveballs—and live an earned life too fulfilling to dwell on the “what ifs.”
If you’d like more information on Marshall Goldsmith, The Earned Life, and his work, please get in touch with Lyda Goldsmith.
