A couple weeks ago I fulfilled a 6-year goal of completing the Marathon Grand Slam, which involves running a marathon on all seven continents and at the North Pole. Pursuit of this goal has played a central role in my life and been a critical element of my professional and personal decisions since 2010. The opportunity to complete something like this (and there are only a few people in the world who have) never would have come about if I was unwilling to pursue a goal that I knew would take years and involve a lot of challenges along the way. But I did it, and I’m proud of it.


Every individual needs to decide if they want to dream big and go for something unusual, but in too many cases, cultural factors keep people from even conceiving of such possibilities. Such is the case in many Asian cultures: the idea of playing it safe, of aiming for stability rather than greatness, of fitting in rather than standing out. In today’s business environment, that may be the biggest constraint holding you and your organization back.

It’s time to get over it and move forward.

During my time in Asia (and yes, I realize it has only been a little over 4 years), I have seen this factor in many forms. Whether from students in workshops, one-on-one discussions with senior leaders, talking with fellow athletes, or observations of different workplaces, I have seen a frequent emphasis not only on just getting by, but also on criticizing others for aiming high. I see leaders holding themselves back and also trying to hold their employees back. I read blog writers telling athletes’ sponsors “there is no guarantee he will win, so you should stop sponsoring him.” If Asian companies are going to grow and fulfill their potential, if Asian economies are going to develop the strength that lies within them, if NGOs and international organizations are going to help the most people, then the time for encouraging mediocrity has passed.

Why is this factor so common? One reason may be the role of the individual in society. Following the belief that the larger group (family, community, etc.) is more important than any individual, people may worry that an individual who stands out detracts from that larger group. Whether this is about reining in individual egos, or simply ensuring resources go to the larger group, is unclear, but the result is that those who seek to rise above others are often criticized and pulled back.

Perhaps it is due more to risk-aversion and a desire for stability. After all, in many societies, parents rely on children to take care of them in their advanced years, rather than counting on pensions or social security schemes, and so they may encourage their kids to play it safe with their careers rather than take chances. Better to be a banker or doctor with a stable income than a fashion designer whose paycheck can vary from season to season.

Whatever the reason, it limits the possibilities for success for many people and organizations. If you think big then you may get big results, but if you think small then you will definitely get only small results.

It does not have to be like this, of course. Among the 47 runners at the North Pole this year were people from Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Japan, and both mainland China and Hong Kong. That was a nice change from a marathon in Antarctica in 2014, where we had runners from Hong Kong and Japan but the only runner from Southeast Asia was, well…me.

As a consultant I will do my best to understand a client’s underlying social culture, and as a result, I can see where those cultural norms conflict with their business goals. Organizations that play it safe are not creative, and miss out on new product ideas. Organizations that play it safe are not innovative, and fail to adopt new methods that can improve productivity and reduce costs. Organizations that play it safe typically will not see new opportunities that can take them into new markets.

Ultimately, organizations that play it safe are bypassed by those that don’t. It’s sad when your own worst enemy is yourself. Do not hold yourself back, but instead, let yourself dream big and then work to make those dreams come true.