The makers and operators of the RMS Titanic were so confident in their shipbuilding that its Captain, Edward Smith, one of the world’s most experienced sea captains at the time, had famously declared a few years earlier about another company ship, the RMS Adriatic, “I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.” Well, we all know how the Titanic’s maiden voyage turned out.
Success can sometimes blind us to potential disasters. The Titanic carried 2,207 people but had only enough lifeboats for 1,178. This oversight stemmed from outdated maritime safety regulations that based lifeboat requirements on ship tonnage rather than passenger numbers.
When you’re riding high—whether it’s launching hit products, enjoying a surge of clients, or watching your bank account swell—it’s easy to imagine nothing could go wrong. But disaster can strike faster than you can say “iceberg.” Markets can shift, demand can evaporate, and cash flow can dry up.
Wise people know that fortunes are fickle. They question success more than failure, asking more when things are going well than when they’re struggling. They anticipate problems by asking, “What do I want, and what could get in the way?”
Idea for Impact: Success should sharpen your awareness. See paranoia not as irrational fear but as vigilance. Even in prosperity, maintain a nagging sense of potential danger. Stay alert, anticipate challenges, and adapt swiftly. Never let complacency set in, even in the best of times.
Leave a Reply