In the June 2022 Newsletter
  Five Tips to Improve Luck / Good News

I once asked a successful businessman what he attributed to his great success. After all, as CEO he had sold his previous company for over $25B and then went on to found, grow, and recently sell another successful Billion Dollar revenue-producing firm. He said, “I’m lucky and I take risks.”

What’s Your Definition of Luck?

Oprah Winfrey says, “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” The Oxford American Dictionary states that luck is “chance thought of as a force that brings good or bad fortune.”

In his widely read New York Times article, “What’s Luck Got to Do With It?” Jim Collins, bestselling author of Good to Great and co-author of the book Great by Choice, states “Luck, good and bad, happens to everyone, whether we like it or not. When we look at 10xers — companies that are 10 times more successful than expected — we see people who recognize luck and seize it, leaders who grab lucky events and make much more of them.” Learn more.

A new and better definition of luck would be “good or bad fortune based on chance or destiny and the individual’s response to the situation.”

Are you lucky? This is considered a ‘magic’ interview question for candidates. ICMA (International City/County Management Association) offered a story in their Job Hunting Handbook from best-selling author and speaker Daniel Pink. Candidates who consider themselves lucky, rather than totally self-reliant, became employees who helped create a more collaborative environment. One company shared that this helped determine success or failure of the company.

My Path

So luck is not a silly or worthless concept. It can make a big difference personally and professionally. Getting my first job at Bell Labs, finding my spouse, having our daughter, selling our first venture Radish 1.0, and being hired as the Chief Information Officer of the State of Colorado all involved luck. I prepared and recognized the opportunity, and then responded to it. I consider myself lucky.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Luck?

	BE OPEN. See situations and recognize them as lucky opportunities.
	TAKE ACTION. Grab the event, make a decision on how to respond, and then act. Take advantage of luck.
	SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PROPER PEOPLE. Find people who believe they are lucky and who take action in response to opportunities.
	HAVE A LUCKY ATTITUDE. Just like the successful CEO mentioned above, believe you are lucky. Look to the bright side of things.
	THINK LIKE A BILLIONAIRE. Learn and live by the wisdom Rick Sapio discerned from his interviews of 23 extremely wealthy people as shared in my article, How to Think Like a Billionaire.

Summary

You have a choice. Success is self-determined. In the end, business and life are exactly what you choose to make of them. Choose to be lucky!

Good News

Check out this case study, Telehealth Benefits from ChoiceView, on using ChoiceView from Radish Systems for multi-channel nurse coaching. It’s a new approach for telehealth that fills the gap between an ordinary phone call and a video teleconference.

Learn more and see the benefits for patients and medical personnel at the Radish Blog.

Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D.
C-Level Global Executive, Corporate Director, and Colorado CIO of the Year

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