16 Ways to Create Good Fortune
Ask any successful person how they achieved success and many will mention good fortune. Some will say, “I was lucky.”
For instance:
Jay Elliot told me he met Steve Jobs in the waiting area of a restaurant after leaving Intel for a job at a start-up. The start-up failed. Jay had no job.
Andy Grove, Intel’s president and Jay’s former boss, gave Jay this parting message, “You’re making a big mistake – Apple isn’t going anywhere.”
Jay became a V.P. at Apple and Jobs’ right hand man. Steve was twenty-five. It was just months before Apple went public.
Serendipity!
I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it. Denzel Washington
The Sweet 16 of creating good fortune:
- Stay open. The thing you seek may not be the thing you find.
- Keep asking questions.
- Look for favorable circumstances. People see what they look for.
- Set direction and goals; they help you understand favorable winds.
- Adapt to favorable opportunities that aren’t perfect.
- Keep moving forward even if direction changes.
- Prepare for adversity.
- Embrace turbulence; it opens hearts and minds.
- Let go of failure.
- Talk opportunities. Talking problems elevates and validates them. The more you talk about problems the more problems you see.
- Learn from mistakes.
- Push through resistance.
- Disregard convenient activities; do what is right.
- Build a network of friends.
- Ask for advice, a lot. Seek out experts and others who share your experiences and vision.
- Express gratitude.
Bonus: Do your best where you are.
Successful leadership includes good fortune. I don’t believe in luck but good fortune isn’t always an accident.
How can leaders create good fortune?
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I bet you hear that often, but it’s really very true. Thank you!
Thank you Vanessa.
Have a great week and may you find good fortune.
I really like point 1 … stay open. Too often once a path has been set, the blinders come on and opportunities for new adventures, either big or small, are missed. Plans are necessary. So is the willingness to adapt when new information comes to light.
Thank you Laurie.
I find staying open one of the hardest things to do. I’m all about heads-down-hard-work. I need to remind myself to lift my head up and look around once in awhile.
Excellent topic! Everyone should print this and post it on their wall!
Thank you Jasmine.
Have a great week filled with good fortune.
I agree with staying open. One important part of that though is the ability to recognize when you are in fact open! That requires paying attention and listening to the the quiet of the heart.
Thank you Brian.
I see what you mean… openness may also mean listening to others. Cheers!
Dan,
Fabulous stuff. You inspired me today. I agree with Jasmine…you should market this one as a poster, Dan.
I’ve got the teacher gene still in me. I see it on classroom walls.
Dauna
Thank you Dauna.
It’s great to be encouraged by you. Here’s to a great week.
“Connect the dots” in a new way — this is commonly cited as product opportunities (Post-it Notes is the classic) but can be true in people roles, allowing others to expand talents/abilities that are untapped is rewarding. Their “newness” often is refreshing. Grove overlooking Apple, like Tom Waston (IBM founder) pooh-poohing PC’s demonstrates the need to find new patterns. The “trick” is to find this in ourselves – not fall in love with our own ideas!
Thank you Ken.
Wise suggestions. Emotionally investing in our own ideas is a double edged sword.
Passion gone awry causes us to open our mouths and close our ears.
Great advice Dan, I think I have done each one at one time or another, but to see them all together really gels the path to seek. Have a wonderful Monday!
Thank you Tina.
Good fortune to you! Thanks for being a regular here.
Dear Dan,
An interesting post. Fortune does play a good role in every one’s life. Leaders can create fortune by accepting newer challenges and accomplishing them with collective wisdom and united efforts. Leaders play a vital role in the team’s success but always look for his own progress by working on newer and brighter things with creativity, confidence and vigor.
Fortune comes to leaders with 3Ps, Planning, Performance and Prudence backed by experience.
Dan,
Thanks for putting so many great tips into one comprehensive list. All are great individually and even more powerful when combined.
Carol
Might suggest a morph for #6…keep looking forward, while being prepared to go sideways or even backwards. Using yet another futbol analogy, while the goal is the goal, often you go laterally or even backward to create a new opportunity.
To get a better vision (less cluttered), a ball is passed forward and it almost magnetically pulls people toward it. As that occurs, other areas of the field now open up, if the ball is passed back, you have a new field of view and less pressure on yourself.
In business, getting that first product or service to market (even if it is not perfect), and then rather quickly improving on it and resending does work well. (What Apple has often done with new roll outs of Iphones.)
By taking the time to really see the field, you are better equipped to make your good fortunes.
Great post. Especially need to see #12 Push through resistance and #16 Express gratitude today. Love the whole concept. Thanks!
this is really helpful, need to remind myself and my friends about these things, thanks a lot for sharing!
This is a great list! It makes me feel hopeful.
Reblogged this on Snippets from the web and commented:
Wow, who wouldn’t like to create good fortune? But as always, it’s true, there isn’t such a thing as a free lunch… it takes time, effort, brains and guts to grab those chances that you’re ready for. To show that you’re ready for them and then do it. Show no fear! Good luck.
Very informative. After setting the goals and directions, we might want to allow the means to be abit flexible..
Excellent information and tips. Being open is very important. Recognizing when your door opens just as important to step through it and not wait hoping for something better to come along.
I also agree to (7) Prepare for adversity (8) embrace turbulence and (15) Ask for advice. We are so busy sometimes that we forget to stop and take a step back to view the situation from another viewpoint.
In fact, the whole article has valid, sound, wise advice. Thanks for the posting. I have subscribed, Tweeted and liked this on Google+ and Facebook.
Thanks
Rodney