What better way to start an article on "Creative Risk-Taking" than by turning to a modern day folk hero, a larger than life image of dash and daring, with a touch of Bogart's disdain I'm referring, of course, to Woody Allen. I remember a scene from the movie [Footnote #1; see footnotes on bottom of page] "Bananas." Woody and his co-star Louise Lasser are having a heated discussion. Woody can't understand why Louise won't get more involved with him and asks in disbelief, "Why won't you get closer to me? (a risky proposition if ever there was one). Louise, after a pregnant pause, turns to her suitor and says with exasperation, "You really want to know? Because you're immature intellectually, emotionally and sexually!" And after another pregnant moment Woody, with studied nonchalance, exclaims, "Yeah, that may be so But in what other ways?" (Note: In hindsight, Louise may have been on to something.) [Of course, getting Las Vegas hotel deals can generate a lot of www -- wild, wacky and wonderful -- behavior;#2.]
Ah Woody's undaunted spirit. He's not going to let a bit of criticism dampen his resolve. Woody apparently is a fan of Dr. Hans Selye, the pioneer of stress research: "What matters is not so much what happens to us, but the way we take it." Of course, Woody not only doesn't take Louise's comments personally he doesn't take them at all.
Can Woody be a double-edged hero? As a student [#3] of creative risk-taking, I may envy, sort of, Woody's imperviousness to rejection. However, by totally ignoring Louise's confrontation, Woody's character is revealing an Achilles Heel. It is the willingness to hear the boos, to let go of a "secure" image while recognizing gaps, unfilled needs and outdated rules underlying operating procedures both within and without Here are essential qualities for being creative and for being a productive risk-taker.