“Being open to possibility, ready to seize an opportunity whenever it occurs, however unexpected (or unwanted), is a key ingredient in innovation. But also in life.”
This quote, taken from the book Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson and mentioned in Kieron’s recent communication, is profound. One of my great mentors, my father, used to tell me that you have to “prepare for luck” – an interesting statement and one that honestly bewildered me for some time until I started to look around and see those people who, from my perception, always seemed to get selected to do the most interesting things. As I slowly began to engage these people, and the groups they frequented, it was clear that while true luck certainly does exist (e.g., winning the lottery), there are habits one can embrace to significantly increase the chances of being “lucky”. Among these are the following:
1. Showing up (literally). Timing is everything and if you’re not there, you simply lose out.
2. A mental model. Understanding the topic(s) at hand and being able to explain how to put the various ideas people have together into something that has notable impact.
3. A Network. Being able to have a community of people you can count on to articulate, socialize and execute on ideas allows you to be effective.
4. Confidence. You need to be visible. Every day, millions of people lose out on luck simply because as a person they are invisible, even if the work they do is excellent.
5. Marketing. You are always marketing yourself. From the ideas your carry in your head to the manner in which they are presented – you are the message.
The key to luck is first understanding that opportunities often present themselves as a result of market forces coming together in ways that are often anticipated only by those who understand the nature of uncertainty and are willing to take a chance. They see the opportunity and they see the path forward to exploit that opportunity to the betterment of their audience. That’s why what looks like luck to one person may look obvious to another.
As you work on the “Luck” exercise, think about how adopting the aforementioned habits (and ideas in the included link) have impacted the opportunities you’ve had – whether intentional or not. Ask yourself: How much was luck, and much of that luck was in preparing for it?
Finally, here’s what on Dave’s chalkboard this week:
Remember to “pay it forward.”
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