Having spent most of my career as a speaker and consultant on technology and risk, I know that many people think it’s always important to be protected from risk. Risk is viewed as inherently “bad,” and people do what they can to make sure they are covered if something unforeseen and devastating should happen, leaving them vulnerable and financially exposed. Except, I don’t look at risk that way… and, I discovered, neither does Jeff Bezos.What I’ve come to realize is there is an essential link between risk and business growth that many people overlook. From this vantage point, risk can be framed in a very positive light. That’s why I wrote the book The Bezos Letters - 14 Principles to Grow Your Business Like Amazon. I examined the growth of Amazon from a slightly different perspective—through the lens of risk. Yes, every business takes risks but haphazard risk-taking is like rolling the dice. You never know what’s going to come up. But Bezos takes risks with intentionality, which most businesses, if aware, can also harness to achieve greater results. I believe what has fueled Amazon’s growth comes down to Jeff Bezos’ unique approach to taking and leveraging risk and his commitment to creating a culture for experimentation and invention, in other words, his mindset. And it’s all based on his views on success and, actually, failure.You’ve probably heard the quote attributed to Henry Ford, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would’ve told me faster horses.” The prevailing mindset at the time was “faster horses.” Ford had the idea to design and test something new (an affordable automobile), build it (the Model T), accelerate the process (the assembly line), and scale (using local dealerships). There were over fifteen million Model T’s sold by 1927. Ford had a risk and growth mindset. Which brings us back to the most important element in risk, growth, and success—people. With their inventive and innovative ideas, these familiar people have had an impact on the world: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, and J.K. Rowling just to name a few. Of course, there are many more I could have added that are not household names but equally as impactful. But here’s the point: Using the same risk and growth mindset that Bezos and these others have used, I believe we can all impact the world (wherever we are) and make our mark for the better. That’s what a risk and growth mindset is all about. And that’s why helping businesses understand and embrace a risk and growth mindset is my passion and my mission.