Hump Day Wisdom: Making Your Own Luck
This post about luck on Seth Godin's blog got my attention this morning. I often wonder about luck. There is much in chance and coincidence in the world; but it is our openness and attitude about it that impacts the outcome.
The new hire with stronger credentials and experience than your own is either a threat or an asset to your goals- but which is it? Some will depend on who they are. But also in the mix is how you manage the relationship.
Perhaps that man at the next table at an R&D conference is working on the key technology you need to commercialize a new innovation. Whether you will know it or not will depend on whether or not one of you is willing to make a connection.
Often times, the answer to a thorny problem that I have been working on for months- maybe years will present itself as if by divine inspiration. It was there all the time- but I was just not ready to see it until today.
Luck may put you in proximity to the things you crave: friends, employees, the love of our life, technology, ideas... you name it. But your readiness to see and engage is what capitalizes on that lucky chance ... or not.
Successful leaders are aware of the impact of their own attitude. The story we tell ourselves about who we are, what we are doing, what we are accountable for and how we will get it done has tremendous impact on the quality of our leadership. Making our luck (or as Seth describes it, "being willing to be lucky") is a consequence of attitude and action.
Hump Day Wisdom is published to arrive in your RSS/ mailbox on Wednesdays as an invitation to consider a mid week course correction and goes to thousands of requesters on 4 continents.