I worked with a group of people once who each pooled $5 every week to buy lottery tickets.
They were happy talking and dreaming about what they would do if they won, but they never won the big one.
They hoped they’d get lucky, but never did.
It’s true that many things happen by chance, but it’s also true that there are no free rides.
Nobody achieves difficult or important targets by chance alone.
Somebody always wins the lottery, but it almost certainly won’t be you..
If the business of leadership is about achieving targets through the work of a team of people, it’s a serious endeavor that requires hard work and discipline.
Not just talking and dreaming. Not just luck.
There are leaders who are like my old work colleagues. They’re happy talking and dreaming about outcomes but not how they’ll achieve them. They believe they’ll get lucky.
These aren’t just low energy dreamers, they’re often highly conscientious & hard working but simply don’t spend enough of their time on what needs it.
Some hope they can achieve targets by setting them.
Some hope they have the knowledge to solve problems they don’t understand.
Some others commit to targets without committing to the resources needed to achieve them.
Others think if they just keep doing what they’ve done in the past, the future will be different.
Some leaders believe in silver bullets, quick & simple answers to difficult problems.
Dreaming of getting lucky can be intense, but it’s still dreaming.
How you spend your time is a defining part of your leadership.
There’s no doubt that luck plays a part in success, or failure, but so does discipline.
Creating repetitive routines & building connections are the work of leaders. Controlling distractions & being aware of what attracts your attention.
When you’re working hard to manage your time, and your team’s time, lucky breaks have a bigger impact. You make your own luck.
“..many things happens by chance, but there are no free rides…”
Do you dream that when you’ve set a goal, your job is done? That you don’t need to see the path to achieving it? Or are you lucky?
Do you think that you know the best solution for a detailed complex problem, without engaging the people who actually work inside that problem? Are you a genius or are you lucky?
When you decide to make a big change, do you decide to hire or buy the resources to achieve it? Does your team have the capability and the time to do it, or will they be lucky too?
When you don’t succeed, do you just keep trying the same approach with the same team, or do you make changes to make change? Were you on the wrong track, or were you just unlucky last time?
Do you dream that buying the latest software will solve your problems? Are you sure it’s that simple or will you be lucky?
Discipline alone doesn’t get results, but sustained results don’t come without it.
Are you lucky?