Risk is what you don’t see! Harry Houdini was a daredevil in every sense. He could be buried alive and survive, escape locked containers, and endure the most daring stunts imaginable. One of his favorite tricks? Inviting audience members to punch him in the stomach. Houdini would flex his solar plexus, hold his breath, and absorb the blow unscathed. But one night, backstage after a show, a fan approached him and delivered a flurry of punches without warning—no time to prepare, no time to flex. Houdini smiled through the pain, but the damage was done. The next day, he suffered excruciating pain, likely caused by a ruptured appendix. A week later, he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones. Out of all the death-defying stunts he attempted, it was this unplanned, seemingly trivial event that cost him his life. The lesson? Risk often lurks in the unexpected. We prepare for the risks we can see—the big, obvious ones. But it’s the “one-percenters,” the low-probability, high-impact events, that have the power to derail everything. As Carl Richards said: "Risk is what’s left over after you think you’ve thought of everything." How do you prepare for the risks you don’t see? Let’s discuss. 👇
