Believing in Luck

You hear about luck in the workplace and the in-thing to do is to equate it with belief in the Easter Bunny or The Tooth Fairy. All of us are familiar with the "The harder I work, the luckier I get" line.

Nonetheless, there are lucky people.

They happen to apply for the promotion at a time when their unique skills are in demand. Had they been considered at a time six months in either direction, they would not have been seriously considered.

They visit the office of a friend when the friend's friend appears with an opportunity that becomes theirs to seize.

Believing in luck does not discount the importance of hard work or of being prepared to move when the door opens. It also does not ignore the fact that some people can spot opportunities that others walk past.

Napoleon, who hardly devalued merit, favored generals with luck. He may have reasoned that their luck was multiplied by their ability to identify and exploit it. That does not argue, however, for luck's nonexistence.

Can people increase their chances for a visit from luck? Certainly. Your circle of friends and associates, your values, your good works. your creativity can increase those chances but they are no guarantee. Luck, be it good or bad, sometimes visits for no discernable reason. It is out there.