Well, the ‘textbook’ definition runs along the lines of this:
“…success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions; a force that seems to operate, as in shaping circumstances, events or opportunities…”
It may sound controversial – but from a ‘real world’ perspective, we don’t agree with this entirely.
Any action that is undertaken, which leads to, or results in a positive experience (financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually) is what we want to focus on.
If you are one of those individuals that choose to keep ‘moving forward’, we will assume that your glass is permanently ‘half full’, just like these people:
At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.
At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.
At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary.
At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a single parent living on welfare.
At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.
At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.
Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.
Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.
Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.
We mention these stories because they help to illuminate our perspective on ‘luck’. We hate when we hear the words ‘I can’t’ or ‘It won’t work’, ‘It’s too late’ or ‘It’s not my fault’…
…Every action we take, every word we utter has some sort of consequence, so if your plan is to ‘add value’ or to ‘make a positive difference’, your behaviourshould reflect this…
As recruiters at Jonothan Bosworth Recruitment Specialists, we interact with employers, candidates and suppliers all day, every day. Sometimes things don’t go to plan, but it’s our ‘response’ to adversity, to disappointment, and to the unexpected that ultimately determines the complexion of our future.
There have been times when ‘on paper’ a candidate hasn’t looked suitable for a role. The ‘easiest’ thing to do is skip past that resume, and think no more of it. However, our ability to take ‘one more step’, with ‘child-like inquisitiveness’ is what generates the extra “1%” needed to make the all important difference.
We had a scenario recently – we were working on a ‘junior’ role and we came across a candidate who had limited sector experience, had worked for a long time in a completely different industry and to top it all off, was not a traditional entry level applicant – but there was just something about this particular candidate that resonated with us. ‘Luckily’ the employer agreed and the rest is history.
This kind of scenario is what we think of, when we talk about the notion of ‘luck’. Luck is about being on the ‘front foot’ – sometimes even ‘stumbling’ through a situation, with raw energy and conviction…
There are moments every day when we need to speak to the CEO of a company that we have never spoken to before. On any given day, it might just so happen that we get hold of him/her when he/she has already fielded ’10 sales calls’. At that moment, how do we ‘differentiate?’ …It all boils down to that little word: ‘action’. A lack of action is what cripples most people. A lack of action means you fail to communicate your qualities and you stand still, frozen like a ‘rabbit in the headlights’. If you’re standing still – there’s not much hope of ‘getting lucky’
The CEO in the situation mentioned above could be crying out for someone with ‘belief’, ‘passion’ and ‘clarity’. A ‘lucky mindset’ in this scenario could lead to your most successful call, ever!
We take calls from suppliers all the time, and we know when we hear a ‘lucky’ caller, a confident ‘glass half full’ type of person, can usually have our ear!
In conclusion, we do believe that ‘luck’ is a force of nature that bestows itself on those that take action with the most ‘positive outlook’ – no matter the field of work.
Be lucky…
If you are a client in search of a new recruitment partner, or a candidate looking for your next challenge, please email us at; Hello@JonothanBosworth.co.uk or call us on; 0845 299 6369