In a soft economy, with fewer opportunities, there is a greater tendency to take a conservative position. This conservative position applies to the approach organizations take when using resources-capital and human-and the attitudes of many employees. While trying to "play it safe" may feel good, it is not the path to greater personal growth.

Personal and professional growth comes from stretching and taking risks. In this case, a risk is an action where the outcome is not known. For example, if we repeat prior behaviors, we have a good sense of the reaction or result. When we depart from previous experiences, the result is less predictable.

Here are four reasons to take risks to build your career:

When you take a risk you can add value and learn from the situation. One risk is to change functional groups or divisions in your company. In my career and watching others, these moves proved to become launching pads for growth. The new environment provides an opportunity to share knowledge and experience, while at the same time, learn from the approaches they take.

Early in my career, I moved from marketing to sales. It enabled me to apply the longer term strategies of marketing to sales. I lead the team to sell programs to customers much earlier than usual, which enabled us to lock in better programs.

I grew in several ways from the experience. Two examples were the increased speed of decision making and leading a larger team of professionals.

Growth is inherent in most risks. Taking an alternative path forces the person to think differently. The new situation enables expansion of thought and may require "connecting the dots" in new ways.

A former colleague of mine changed divisions from one that focused on brands to one that was commodity oriented. In the new role, he introduced strategies to add more brand characteristics, which opened new channels for growth. Similarly, the executive was able to learn more about the manufacturing process and customer connections.

You are usually better after the fact. Typically, the process of taking a risk and working through it leaves the person better after the experience. Rising to a new level of understanding and performance are lasting benefits.

Trying new approaches to a new or existing problem has its risks. One of my clients felt strongly about challenging the status quo in a new organization. He presented to the President that a core competency of the firm, quality, could be improved. This was a bold move, but the presentation was sound and received well. The President authorized this person to lead a quality team. Within three years, quality improved by 90%.

You'll never know in advance if the choice you take is the "right" one. The risk is choosing an unchartered course for your career. You don't know if this will be the absolute "right" route. However, if you do your homework and venture into the situation with a positive attitude, good things are likely to occur.

A junior executive at a Fortune 25 company set up a meeting with the President. Calling this person an executive is generous, as they had recently graduated from business school. Their peers were concerned about the longevity of this person based on such a bold or foolish move.

The President met with the person for 45 minutes and covered a broad range of topics. Most important, the junior executive learned several "keys to success". He even had an opportunity to share some of his experiences and projects with the President.

In advancing your career, modest, incremental steps are important. However, when you expand beyond your comfort zone, stretching your capabilities are when the biggest gains are achieved.