During golden times, it is easy to take risks, experiment with new types of business, consider new markets and stimulate a willingness to try something new and change. The economic boom makes the perception that there is not much to lose universal and therefore leaders are more willing to take risks.

In today's world of job loss worries and growth uncertainty, where it would be natural to conserve and not create, strong and desperate measures do not win but depth of analysis and thoughtRisk is still a winning weapon, but one must learn to distinguish the risks that must be avoided from those that can lead the organisation to greater strength in the medium and long term.

Here are some considerations:

• It is important accompanying change and not impose it. The world is constantly evolving and no matter how productive and efficient current circumstances are, sooner or later a change in outlook, actions and interactions will be necessary. Awareness of this and recognition of the potential of an emerging reality is the first step in today's leadership.
• Just as our identity is not set in stone, we are constantly changing and our perception of ourselves can alter, an organisation also enjoys a fluid identity. Indeed, it is possible to incorporate some new elements, and at the same time remain faithful to existing corporate values, using different ways of expressing one's identity and thus avoiding becoming fossilised on a single path and paralysing the fundamental capacity to adapt and respond to new needs.
• When leaders are afraid to take risks they tend to see only a single obstacle in front of them: the squirrel's head. They tend to focus on the lack of results, i.e. the squirrel's tail, or to focus on the changes that customers require, the squirrel's paws. Leaders must getting used to observing totality and not the particularity, the overall picture of the situation, to avoid seeing necessary risks and suddenly discovering that the squirrel has escaped into the forest.

Leaders ready for change will be able to recognise the risks that need to be taken and to turn the corner when necessary.