The sometimes too fine line between reckless and fearless

If you’ve read my past articles and subscribed to any of the programs I’m privileged to host for FranklinCovey (On Leadership and Great Life, Great Career), you know I’m a loyal fan of the prolific author Seth Godin. Next to Dr. Stephen R. Covey, I’ve learned more from Seth than likely anyone in my life. Above all that he does—and it’s vast—he’s a teacher.

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I’ve been fortunate to sit with Seth three or four times over the past decade, sometimes at his office, once even at our CEO’s home in Park City, Utah. Seth is an inspiration to me on many levels. He’s generous beyond reason. He is deliberate and strategic with how he spends his time and attention. He’s humble and listens with intention like nobody I’ve ever met. He is clairvoyant (not like fortune-teller clairvoyant, but ear-to-the-ground clairvoyant). I’m promoting Seth because he has earned it and continues to offer everyone who engages with him value and asks nothing in return. He’s one of the best models of exercising an Abundance Mentality I’ve ever encountered.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from Seth is determining when I’m being reckless and when I’m being fearless. In the course of my role at FranklinCovey, I interview CEOs, bestselling authors, celebrities, and business titans, and when I’ve attempted to interject this concept of being reckless, every one of them dismisses the idea that they would ever be reckless. (By the way, I can name an endless stream of CEOs that were fired for being reckless—ten come to mind in the past year alone.)

Perhaps it depends on how you define recklessness. Drinking and driving—that’s clearly reckless and grossly selfish. Using your rent money on a weekend getaway with friends, that’s reckless too (fun but reckless). Always saying what’s on your mind, regardless of people’s feelings—reckless. Telling your wife as you head out the door for dinner that you don’t love the dress she’s wearing—insanity, stupid, dumb, late-night loneliness, prep-the-sofa level recklessness.

For no particular reason, I’ve become much more fearless since I turned 50. I care less about what most people think of me. I want them to trust and respect my character and talents, but I really don’t care if you like my personality or not. I like me, and that’s frankly enough. I’ve spent too many years not liking me because some others don’t. To them I say, I wish you great success. Turn your attention now to someone else (typically because you want it off yourself). I’ve become fearless in literally every area of my life (except snakes, sharks, and alligators…but you knew that because I mention it all the time). Now, if this last paragraph has you thinking, “Sounds pretty reckless to me, Scott”…read on.

In my unbridled quest to be more fearless, I often become reckless. With my time. With what I pursue and say yes to. With my words. With people’s feelings. And when I’m reckless, with small things and large, it always eclipses the ground I gained by being fearless.

Perhaps we should all ask ourselves, continually, is what I’m about to say or do fearless or reckless? Because often that decision not just rewards you, but many others around you. Or is what I’m saying or doing reckless? Beyond damaging you, it impacts other innocent bystanders who trusted you and now experience the backlash.

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If you enjoyed this post, you may also be interested in FranklinCovey's weekly On Leadership series, where I interview authors and thought leaders to share their valuable leadership insights. Subscribe to FranklinCovey On Leadership and receive weekly videos, tools, articles, and podcasts to help you become a better leader.

Here are links to some of my previous articles:

There's Always A Backstory

Super Career Advice From A Potato Farmer

Just Own It: Excuse Free Apologies

What I Learned From Stephen R. Covey