Insights
22ND JANUARY, 2025
Inside the Mind of a Dynamic Risk Taker: Examining SpaceX Risk Taking and the Lessons For Organisations
22ND JANUARY, 2025

When I began writing this article on Thursday 16th January, I did not know Flight Test 7, another attempt to catch the rocket booster was underway, so this was a welcome coincidence. Flight Test 7 rocket launch and booster catch was epic. I was at a friend’s house where we watched the launch live on his massive TV equipped with Bose speaker, we turned the volume up as we and his sons watched the countdown and launch. It was even better than the first catch in my opinion – smoother landing in my opinion. Well, except for a little glitch with the communications issue after it landed. I was mostly looking forward to the catch of the booster part of the rocket. “…. Now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be impossible for them.” And this verse from the first book of the ancient Holy Scripture is true in the case of one man, a dynamic risk taker, Mr. Elon Musk and his SpaceX crew. They did it again!
Did you watch it? This highly anticipated launch, which also included a collaboration with Gulfstream saw a fully loaded Gulfstream Jet (N95NA) with data gathering and analysis equipment sensors, cameras, radar, and other instruments fly within reasonable range to collect data from the rocket and booster. Let’s unpack this event, Elon Musk and SpaceX a little more and see what lessons we can learn that can be applied to any purpose we want to achieve.
No Limit Risk Taking
When it comes to people I study as risk-takers, I put Elon Must in the category of dynamic risk taker. A dynamic risk taker is a person or an organisation that has “the superpower personality type that makes you almost godlike. Dynamism here is indicated by the quality of flexibility, adaptability, fluidity, and ‘augmentability’ to achieve a defined purpose in any given situation. The economy, political climate, geography, and family status do not present obstacles to the achievement of their purpose.” (Quoting from my book, Get Risky or Get Lost: The Psychology, Science and Art of Precision Risk-Taking). A leader must be a conscious risk taker, must have been stress tested in every way shape, form and from many angles that may not be linked to their primary purpose. Elon had family dynamics that would have pulled at the strings of his heart such as his own son cutting ties with him, amongst other things.
When Elon Musk started SpaceX in 2002 with the purpose of making human life travel on multi planets possible, starting with Mars, the space industry was dormant. Elon Musk, an outsider with no formal aerospace background, risked his personal fortune acquired from the sale of PayPal to fund SpaceX. This move was widely considered reckless, yet for Musk, it was a calculated risk aligned with a long-term vision, aligned with a purpose.
When I watched the SpaceX Netflix documentary a few years ago, it was evident that this was a ‘no limit’ endeavour for Elon Musk besides working around the clock, sleeping at the office, Elon Musk and SpaceX were on the brink of financial collapse after several three previous failed rocket launches. The fourth launch was going to make or break them but lo and behold, on the 28th September 2008, when the world was going through the damned financial crisis, it was success! They achieved orbit for the first time. Just put yourself in the control room that day and imagine, feel the ecstasy! Your attitude determines the outcome of your risk taking. If you see no limit, there will be no limit. If you see limits, there will be limits.
Gathering of Purpose Warriors: The Power of Collaboration
In my book, Get Risky or Get Lost: The Psychology, Science and Art of Precision Risk-Taking; Rule 4 of the Essential Rules of Risk is, ‘Assemble Your Purpose Warriors’. Therein, I emphasised the power of collaboration. To be a key person or organisation of influence, collaboration is more powerful than just partnership. You see, collaboration indicates that those involved in an endeavour are both taking risks actively whereas in partnerships, you could have a sleeping partner who’s just there in name only. Collaboration combines the efforts of two dynamic risk takers or a dynamic risk taker and an active risk taker or a dynamic risk taker and a material risk taker. SpaceX and Gulfstream’s endeavours, two dynamic risk takers, demonstrates this clearly. By pooling their resources, knowledge and expertise, both organisations effectively took complex risks, demonstrating the power of collaborating in joint risk ventures to capitalise on high-stakes opportunities.
Joint risk-taking and management not only enables organisations to share the potential rewards but also reveal the opportunities in uncertainty faster whilst dynamically managing threats and problems. For risk-takers, individuals and organisations, this collaboration serves as a reminder that even the boldest visions can benefit significantly from partnerships that amplify capabilities and could mean that achieving your purpose could be more certain even quicker to realise. Who are your internal and external purpose warriors?
Challenging Status Quo
SpaceX's venture into the satellite market with Starlink is another bold move and for this to happen, SpaceX needed to happen because it led to NASA awarding them the largest space contract ever. By launching thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide global internet coverage, Elon Musk demonstrates a unique leadership quality, ‘move fast and break things’. Capitalising on a sector and breaking the stagnant state of the then space sector he racked in billions of dollars in investment. He moved fast, set the pace and broke the status quo of that sector. Now everyone else wants to follow but he is way ahead of the pack.
As we speak, and despite many criticisms and scepticism, SpaceX has launched approximately 6,944 Starlink satellites into orbit.
The Developmental Mind of Risk Takers
When you read Elon Musk’s biography, it’s a big book and I’m nowhere near finished reading it yet, what you learn early on is that he had had a penchant for taking risks despite the odds of a somewhat challenging family life. He explored with science and technology, apparently making a video game at the age of 12 after teaching himself programming. I barely got through Java programming in my brief stint at university as an adult, but as a preteen, Elon was doing stuff most adults do today.
At a lecture I attended in London last weekend, we examined the part of the brain that is responsible for risk and how we respond to the four variants of risk – the amygdala. We all have one and it helps direct our risk response mechanisms whether it is a threat we are faced with or an opportunity that we have. The size of the amygdala has nothing to do with risk exploitation or risk management, it is how we are trained from the experiences we go through, our psychological processing abilities and the things we perceive play a significant part in the development of our minds to exploit and manage risks in the world around us.
Here are four things Elon Musk did that you must do:
- Have an Unflinching Purpose and the ability to anchor a purpose onto a larger Purpose.
- Go All Out on your purpose without holding anything back because what you hold back is what will break you or limit your ability to achieve your purpose. Comfort zone is the killer of dreams.
- Use any failure wisely because opportunities reside in them.
- Be radical but not reckless if you want change.
7 Risk Lessons SpaceX That Organisations Can Use To Soar
SpaceX's journey offers invaluable insights for leaders and organisations across various sectors:
- Risk Drives Purpose: Be clear on your purpose, let it be your soul identity.
- Know Risk: Read my book, Get Risky or Get Lost: The Psychology, Science and Art of Precision Risk-Taking.
- Take Risks Consciously: Your Purpose is the risk you are taking. Fire all the cylinders of risk so it can boost you into the stratosphere of success.
- Stress Test: Failure is stress test. Use it like SpaceX did.
- Have a No Limit Risk Mindset: Your ‘risk attitude’ determines your ‘purpose altitude’.
- Assemble Your Internal and External Purpose Warriors: You need the right people aligned with your purpose to achieve your purpose.
- Innovate to kill stagnation: Don’t be caught in a rut because sooner or later, it will be the end of you.
Find Your Risk Groove And Soar With It
Elon Musk is a human being like you and I. He’s got the same colour of blood running through his veins as ours, he’s got one brain, except if he has planted a neuralink in his brain, dry joke intended but you get the point I’m about to make… if he can do it, you can do it in the sphere you operate in or want to operate in, you don’t need to go to Mars. It took me many years to find my groove with many figurative launch failures that I now consider and use as stress tests. I am my own risk, you are your own risk, Elon Musk is his own risk, SpaceX is its own risk. It is the action or inaction that determines the outcome of each risk, permanent success and legacy or permanent failure and docility, what do you choose?
The greatest rewards always await those willing to embrace the greatest risks.
Do me a favour please and share this article with your purpose warriors, collaborators, colleagues and partners.
Look out for new insights every Wednesday.
Thank you for reading.
If You Would Like To Exploit My Dynamic Risk Mind And Expertise:
Get in touch with me directly here - chizubel@chizubelbeluchi.com
Take Risk. Achieve Purpose!
Your Risk Champ,
Chizubel Beluchi