I am not a believer in pure leadership luck. It’s not that some leaders don’t have great opportunities come their way while others seem to be less fortunate with workplace issues. The perfect rainbow as well as the perfect storm can happen to any of us. But that’s not luck; that’s more “stuff happens”.
My philosophy about luck is somewhat organic and somewhat premeditated. When I have experienced a lucky outcome to a dream or goal, it had less to do with luck and more to do with preparing for the alignment of my actions and targets. For that promotion to happen or for that company to become a new client, there needs to be more than just luck.
[Tweet “Luck is not something that just happens to leaders.”]
If you are really eager to make luck work in your favor, here are four strategies that may bring you the four-leaf clover:
BELIEVE YOU ARE LUCKY
Do you think you are a lucky leader? Luck will never find you if you don’t open your eyes and mind to being lucky. It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if we think we are worthy of an opportunity happening. In my workshops I often will hear:
“I never get any of the good assignments.”
“I deserve to be promoted, but it will never happen on this team.”
“My work is never recognized like some of the others in my department.”
The leaders who have those self-limited philosophies, will most certainly ward off luck. If that sounds like something you may say or think, stop that negativity and instead say:
“All my assignments are contributing to my job experience so I will be ready for the more interesting one when it arrives.”
“I am setting up a meeting with my boss about how I can make my promotion materialize.”
“I am going to identify ways to share my contributions more effectively.”
CAREFULLY MAKE A PLAN
Whatever your goals may be, make a clear and well thought out strategy of how to achieve them. Don’t leave your steps and milestones to luck but rather map them out with measurements and deadlines. Stick to those metrics and be ready so when a new position opens up, you will be prepared. If you need to take on some training to learn new skills, do it now. If you need to reach out for a mentor, today is the day.
[Tweet “Leadership Luck involves strategy and planning.”]
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ACTION FIGURES
Sometimes leaders complain about their team members not being strong or focused. High performing teams aren’t just lucky; they work hard to make things happen.
- Help teammates be more accountable by holding them to high expectations and giving honest feedback.
- Offer praise when people execute effectively by giving them credit and sharing their achievements with others.
- Coach others to believe they can reach even higher and provide concrete ways to take action.
LEAD WITH DECISIVENESS
Lucky leaders can make clear decisions and explain why a certain direction needs to be taken. When challenging opportunities knock at your door, answer loudly with “yes’! Put fears away and take on the riskier project even if there seems to be some missing pieces or imperfect information. It’s better to try and fail than not to attempt at all. That is how luck rolls. When we purposefully put ourselves out there, luck meets us square on.
What type of lucky leader are you? How have you made luck part of your leadership?
I love this post, Terri.
Like you, I believe we make our own luck and we do that by looking for opportunities rather than expecting them to drop into our lap.
We have a choice in how we react to life’s circumstances…and that response determines whether we’re “lucky” or simply mentally tough!
Being mentally tough can most definitely turn our opportunities into lucky outcomes. Thinking that only some leaders are lucky can be so self-defeating and actually derail us from great achievement. I am a believer in thinking that we all have equal chances of making our own luck if we are prepared and ready for prime time when it arrives.
Thanks LaRae for reminding us that when we are tough we can chart our own paths!
Terri,
Luck is showing up and doing the work. As Ray Kroc said, “Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” As you said, luck is saying “yes” to the open doors that make sense and show a light forward to apply our talents.
Great reminders and actions to take! Jon
Love that quote, Jon! It is so true that the things we work the hardest at are the usually the things we are lucky with. Of course sometimes great opportunities come our way unexpectedly and if we are prepared we can seize them as well.
Luck also happens when we take the time to clearly and carefully follow a plan of action that draws on our gifts, experiences and knowledge.
Thanks for sharing with us! Terri
I’ve had lucky breaks… like a call for a great opportunity from LinkedIn… but just because luck opened the door does not mean I could cross it. We often look around and like to think that other people are lucky and we have it tough. Truth is that the most successful people work exceptionally hard to achieve strong results. Call it luck or call it preparation, it’s up to us what we do when the door opens.
I had a boss that surrounded himself with action figures (literally!) Toys lined his windows and desk, but they reminded him that he too can take action and be someone’s hero. (I asked!)
Great post, Terri – you have me thinking! Thank you!
Lucky breaks like your Linkedin call do happen but as you said, those possibilities will be lost if we are not armed and ready with our background and confidence.
How fascinating about your boss and the action figures on his desk! Visuals can be an effective way to ignite our inner strength to meet challenges head on. I have quotes around my desk on post-its that I often read to just keep me moving forward when I feel overwhelmed.
Thanks Alli for your wonderful story and comments!
Excellent post! I can’t resist sharing this post my son wrote when he was 7 on the topic. Leadership From a Kid’s Point of View: Lucky or Skillful?
http://letsgrowleaders.com/leadership-in-children/kid_leadership/
Thanks so much for sharing your son’s post on luck and leadership, Karin! He totally got the gist of the fact that being lucky in leadership involves hard mind and a lot of focus.
Thanks Karin for opening up the dialogue from a child’s perspective. Children have intuitive minds!
Terri – I love the ownership ideas you list when you encourage people to believe they are lucky.
And I’m completely stuck on how Alli’s boss literally surrounded himself with action figures! What a great way to bring your words to life for those of us that need a visual touchstone.
I really think that sometimes people don’t believe they are lucky and then derail what could be a wonderful opportunity. We have to feel we are deserving of lucky things happening to us and then map out a plan to make sure we are ready when they arrive.
I too love the idea of action figures helping us visualize speaking up and taking matters into our own hands.
Thanks Chery!