As we enter into March “Madness”, I was thinking about how luck affects our world and how luck “fits” into business. I’ve always thought of luck as something that was brought on by chance. I never thought about the possibility of increasing your luck as a result of intentional decision making in the context of business. I recently read an article, however, that explained how to take charge of your luck by making strategic choices. There’s even a name for this. It is called reliable luck. Here are a few tips to help you make reliable luck work for you in business without waiting for your business luck to change by chance.
- Take More Success-Driven Actions
Are you a person who waits to see how a business situation plays out based on chances or do you think about how an intentional decision may increase a desired outcome? By taking actions that are more success-driven, you increase your chances of getting what you want. For example, you can think about making more money or you can intentionally make a strategic choice to do something that will increase the possibility of you making more money. You could think about hiring the first qualified candidate for a job, or you could interview more candidates to increase the chances of finding the person with the “right fit” for your business. Reliable luck isn’t getting what you want every time you make a strategic choice. It’s increasing your luck by taking action more often. - Build Critical Relationships
Are you a person who tolerates everyone or a person who believes that who we surround ourselves with is who we become? Who you spend time with is a choice. Strategic decisions about spending time with people who will better you as a person and increase your chances for success will make a difference in your reliable luck. If you build relationships with people who have already been on the journey you want to be on, they can give you the insight, feedback and support needed to help you achieve your goals more efficiently. Being aware of your relationship choices in business could increase your reliable luck. - Decrease the Physical Distance Between You and Your Goals
Are you a person who wants to own a business in a thriving metropolitan city? Recently, I heard a story about two strangers who met in a cafe. They smiled at each other as they sipped their beverages, and after a bit, they started talking. The first person shared that her big dream was to own her own business in Dallas. She revealed that she lives in a small town in Louisiana and travels to Dallas once a year to check out the city and attend a small business owner seminar. The second person, who was a business woman, commented that the odds of starting a business in Dallas are better if you actually live in Dallas. Her response was “If it’s supposed to happen, then it will happen”. The business savvy person then replied “instead of thinking it will happen, make it happen. If you live in the city where you can gain experience and connect with the right people more often than once a year, your chances of owning a business there will increase!” Investing in your goals will certainly increase your reliable luck. - Become Luckier
Are you a person who looks at business success and only connects it to luck? Luck does play a part in success, but it’s not everything. People are successful because they invest in reliable luck. Successful people take actions every day toward the goals they want to achieve. They build relationships with people who can take them closer to their goals. They put themselves in places that help them professionally advance. There is no waiting for luck to make things happen. They make things happen by taking action. They intentionally increase their opportunities so the chance of luck increases. Of course, there are some people who go from nothing to having everything because of chance, but is it very unlikely for most people. When we invest in reliable luck by taking action, building better relationships, and decreasing the physical distance between us and our goals, we will inevitably get luckier. If you don’t leave reliable luck to chance, the chances are you will have more luck in your business.
This month, I challenge you to think about ways that you can intentionally create reliable luck when making business decisions. Then, take action!
Meredith Johnson is a Partner at PeopleResults. You can reach her at mjohnson@people-results.com or on LinkedIn.
