Safe Danger - by Ben Swire (Hardcover)

About the Book

"If you ask people what they want most out of life, they will likely say something like inspiring experiences, excitement & discovery, groundbreaking work, making a difference, and meaningful relationships. But if you ask them how they're doing on that wish list, more often than not you'll find it's still just that: a wish list. That's because everything on that list requires taking risks like pushing beyond comfort or putting our trust in others. It can be hard to pursue the things we want most, because we also want to protect our hearts, careers, and relationships. So most people's instinct is to avoid or control risk. As a result, we end up with a chasm between what we want and what we're willing to do to get it. To bridge that divide, we need a way to make those risks feel smaller, less dangerous, more worthwhile, and, frankly, more fun. In Safe Danger, Ben Swire-co-founder of Make Believe Works, a company that grew out of client requests for his work at IDEO, where he ran workshops and activities dedicated to creativity, community, and play-provides that way. Swire created Make Believe Time to help people take the risks needed to find purpose and joy in their lives and work, basing it on five core principles: 1. Create safe danger 2. Make the familiar unfamiliar 3. Celebrate joyful failing 4. Connect through highly personal low stakes 5. Jump the tracks of though Including playful, practical, and meaningful activities based on these principles, Safe Danger is for business professionals and creative types-especially those who feel stuck or dissatisfied with their company's work culture of where they are in their career. Taking small, safe risks in a contained setting has been proven to help build confidence and strengthen the emotional muscles needed to deal with uncertainty and navigate unexpected change-meaning you'll be better prepared to take meaningful risks when the opportunities arise. You'll speak up at the meeting. Take the trip. Try the class. Talk to the intimidating person. Take the risk"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

An award-winning designer and former Design Lead at the iconic innovation firm IDEO teaches how to use small, creative risks to build trust, inspire connection, and supercharge employee engagement.

In a world where safety easily becomes stagnation and risk is seen as a threat, Ben Swire's counterintuitive book, Safe Danger, offers a refreshing perspective on how playful creativity can balance those two forces to unlock personal and professional growth.

Ask people what they want from life and you'll hear: inspiring experiences, exciting work, meaningful relationships, and making a difference. But ask how they're doing on that wish list, and you'll likely find it's still just that: a wish list. That's because those things require intimidating risks like vulnerability, disappointment, and trust. As a result, we end up with a chasm between what we want and what we're willing to do to get it. In Safe Danger, Ben Swire has developed a suite of creative activities that combine safety and risk to spur emotional growth.

Drawing on the latest research and years of experience, this entertaining book explains how and why his playful approach is so effective at helping people manage fear and make change. Swire delves into seven powerful qualities that the Safe Danger method can unlock to help people bring out the best in themselves and their teams: joy, vulnerability, curiosity, optimism, connection, trust, and creativity. Full of practical activities and inspiring insights, Safe Danger is for business professionals and creative types--especially those who feel stuck or dissatisfied with their company's work culture or career trajectory.

Whether you're a leader looking to engage your team, a professional seeking to infuse your career with new life, or an individual striving to get more out of your time on earth, Safe Danger offers the tools and insights you've been missing. Discover how to embrace the unexpected, fuel your creativity, and inspire those around you with the transformative power of "Safe Danger."

Review Quotes

Safe Danger offers a research-backed roadmap to building more effective teams--showing how small, playful risks can unlock the psychological safety and authentic trust that we all need to thrive.--Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale, and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

"Delightful and profound, Safe Danger delivers on its provocative title. Author Ben Swire offers a timeless guide to living a fuller and more innovative life while becoming a better leader. With its engaging stories and practical creative activities, this may be one of the most useful management books you will read this year."
--Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School; author of Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, and the person whose work brought the term "psychological safety" into everyday life.

"Our story about risk is getting in the way of creating the future we need. Ben opens the door for teams to come alive, wake up and make an impact."--Seth Godin, bestselling author of This Is Strategy and This Is Marketing

"Safe Danger is a blueprint for building cultures where connection and creativity become the norm--not the exception. With the insight of a designer and the heart of a humanist, Ben Swire shows how small risks can lead to big breakthroughs--in teams, in culture, and in ourselves."--Tim Brown, author of Change by Design and Chair of IDEO

"A must-read for any human at work. With a mix of humor, psychology, and real-world exercises, this warm and witty book teaches you how to take small, fun, manageable risks that help you build trust, unlock creativity, and reconnect with what excites you."--Mollie West Duffy, bestselling co-author of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work

"Calling all reluctant heroes... Ben Swire's book, Safe Danger, is an amazing combination of fantastic storytelling, useful advice, and has an authentic practical application element for any leader who is striving to build a great team. I think it would be useful for leaders in a wide variety of fields from Fortune 100 companies, sports teams, and entrepreneurs leading creative people. It's well done and useful. Buy this. Read it. Apply it. Your future self will thank you for it."--Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show; author of Welcome to Management, The Pursuit of Excellence, and The Score That Matters

"I didn't expect a book about risk to be so fun. But I guess that's exactly the point! Safe Danger doesn't just lay out the facts and tell you why taking small risks matters--it actually gives you an experience and makes you feel it."--Jad Abumrad, Peabody Award-winning creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton's America

"If I know anything, it is that people can only do their best work when they are connected and trust each other. Safe Danger takes what we dismiss as 'just fun' and reveals it as the secret to deep, lasting connection. For those who understand the powerful role play brings to impact, Ben Swire has delivered a gift. Leaders who want to cultivate impactful, thriving teams need to get their hands on this book!"--Megan Summers, Global Head of Production, Facebook

"Safe Danger is a powerful exploration of the paradoxes that make us human--our craving for safety and our longing for aliveness. With heart, depth, and practical wisdom, this book invites us to expand our comfort zones, not by abandoning security, but by redefining it. A must-read for anyone seeking to grow beyond their fears--and looking for tools that will actually help make it happen."--Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of The Psychology Podcast and bestselling author of Transcend

"Safe Danger is a practical roadmap for navigating the emotional fundamentals that lead to workplace transformation. With a mix of playful challenges and sharp insights, Ben Swire shows how small, low-stakes risks can build real trust, unlock creativity, and help teams actually connect (not just pretend to). It's not just smart--it's very doable and refreshingly human."--Victoria Lubomski, Senior Director of HR and Global Business Services at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

"Safe Danger is about more than team-building--it is about the invisible forces that shape our relationships, our creativity, our very sense of belonging. Swire is a brilliant guide, reminding us that risk is not just the domain of thrill-seekers or disruptors but is woven into the fabric of human connection. Through small, playful, intentional acts of courage, we can transform not just our teams, but ourselves."--Jordan Harbinger, host of The Jordan Harbinger Show

"Safe Danger shows us how to use strategic play to superpower both our professional and personal endeavors. Swire has gifted us the playbook for how to play with others to do the best work of your life."--Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal method

"The world doesn't need another book about innovation, but it does need this one. Ben's take is refreshing, logical, and eye opening."--Clayton Ruebensaal, Chief Creative Officer, Comcast

"There are no two better words to describe brilliant team cultures than Safe Danger. Ben Swire has captured the essence of what makes great teams great, effective leaders beloved, and innovative companies soar. No platitudes, and all hard and fast advice born from the front lines of creative work."--Todd Henry, host of the Daily Creative podcast and author of The Accidental Creative and Herding Tigers

About the Author

Ben Swire is one of today's most innovative thought leaders on company culture and workplace belonging. An award-winning designer, writer, and former Design Lead at the iconic innovation firm, IDEO, Swire co-founded Make Believe Works, a team building company that uses creative activities to accelerate connection, deepen trust, and fuel collaboration. His methods have helped organizations from Fortune 500 companies to public school districts build healthy and productive workplace cultures. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.