It’s the Monday after Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, and it’s got us thinking about leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and about luck … especially as it relates to entrepreneurs and successful leaders of companies. Did they get to where they are because they worked hard? Or because they were lucky? Or is there some sort of mysterious combination of the two that makes some people successful in their professional life, and leaves others falling short?
LUCK OF THE DRAW
B. White once wrote that, “Luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men.” So what’s the deal? Ask the most successful person you know whether they got to where they are because they worked hard to get there, or because they were lucky. Chances are they’ll say that their success is attributable to their own hard work. And they wouldn’t be out of the norm for believing this. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, people in higher income brackets are much more likely than those with lower incomes to say that individuals get rich primarily because they work hard.
Why is that? Success results from many factors, one of which is often luck. Being in the right place at the right time can change the course of your life. Meeting the right person can have a domino effect that ultimately may lead to your success. But that’s just it … these “lucky” events are a blip in an entrepreneurs journey to the top. Attending a dinner party where you meet someone who introduces you to another guest that ends up becoming your biggest account is one evening in your entire career. Whereas when one looks back on their career journey thus far, it’s hard not to recall the endless number of days that were filled with hard work in order to achieve professional success. Since these days reoccur much more frequently, they’re easier to remember, and top of mind when asked what caused you to ‘make it’.
TRY TO REMEMBER
Why does this all matter … so what, if successful people attribute their wealth and career highlights to hard work rather than luck? Failing to consider the role that chance plays in our professional path often causes fortunate people to become less likely to ‘pay it forward’ or pass on their good fortune. A growing body of evidence suggests that “seeing ourselves as self-made—rather than as talented, hardworking AND lucky – leads us to be less generous and public-spirited”. This has major impacts on critical financial donations to things like education and public infrastructure. Things that often help make successful people just that, successful.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There’s a mix of many factors that play a role in helping entrepreneurs achieve success. Luck is usually one of them. And when prompted to recall experiences with luck, many will be able to recount several instances when luck caused them to take one road versus another, or changed their charted course in life. But hard work also plays a part. As does support from friends/family/colleagues when times are tough, or when you’re first starting your business. There is no science to this delicate blend of elements that causes one professional to achieve greater levels of success than another, but chances are, luck has helped at some point along the way.
Can you recall a time when luck played a role in your life (professional or personal). Leave your answers here, we love comments!