If you've ever known someone who seems to consistently experience good luck, know this: luck is something you can attract toward yourself. In fact, research has found a correlation between good luck and the right attitudes and choices in life. Check out these quotes from a pile of executives who share their views on how anyone can be luckier.
Fail more.
"Sometimes failure can be a wonderful stroke of luck. You may think you know what your next step should be, but when you take it and fail, the lesson you learn ultimately ends up being what was standing between you and success."
--Mattias Lepp, founder of indoor gardening solutions company Click & Grow.
Examine the choices you make.
"Most people associate luck as a game of chance. And while there is an element of chance, it does not define the game. Being lucky is really a reflection of the choices we make. Taken in aggregate, the smallest choices define who we are and, curiously, the quality of the people who are drawn to us, the environments in which we find ourselves, the media to which we expose ourselves, the way in which we spend our time, the manner in which we see and interpret the world -- and these characteristics define how the world perceives us and the possibilities that flow from that perception. This has nothing to do with talent or accomplishment, per se. It has everything to do with the notion that 'Victory lives on the margins' outside the core. The core is assumed. The choices we make on the margins--those behaviors and elements that are outside the periphery of the everyday grind--this is where the magic lies that unlocks enormous possibilities, otherwise known as luck."
--Tom Fowler, president of wearable sports technology company Polar.
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Prioritize speed over greed.
"Often my luck has come from simply having the courage to make a decision and move on. I rarely find that I have all the information I want to make a truly informed decision. And while it's never good to make a decision in a vacuum, I have found that luck favors the person willing to make a decision with an incomplete set of data, rather than being greedy and waiting too long for all the information to surface."
--Mark Gainey, cofounder and CEO of Strava, a social network for athletes.
Expect good things to happen.
"Optimism isn't magical, it keeps us pointed in the direction of our goals in life. A negative, pessimistic attitude generally repels opportunity."
--Ryan McCarty, cofounder of Culture of Good, Inc., which helps organizations build a cultural movement that inspires employees, ignites positive change in the world and impacts their bottom lines.
Do more good and more good will come your way.
"By giving back to organizations that are important to you and your employees, you will naturally build respect and a good reputation in the community. When businesses help others, people take note and want to support the company in return. Making your company a positive force in the community can also have a big impact on employee morale. In the end, the more positivity you put out in the world, the more you'll get back."
--Scott Moorehead, CEO of Round Room LLC, the nation's largest Verizon authorized wireless retailer.
Make a plan.
"Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said, 'Plan your work and work your plan,' and that's a principle I have always found to bring good fortune my way in both business and my personal life. By writing out your plan, you're able to determine what needs to be done and how you do it. If you get stuck on the execution of that plan, simply revisit it to get back on track. It should act as a guide for all the decisions you have to make. I also believe that good luck comes from being a good listener and surrounding yourself with other hardworking people."
--Pete Butler, founder and CEO of MS Companies, which leverages the gig economy and real-time data to provide a mobile, on-demand workforce matching.
Be generous.
"It's simple to say, but acting generously can immensely impact your opportunities, both in business and life. Alter your thinking from, 'What you can get out of a new relationship?' into 'How can I help this new connection?' Helping three new people is likely to attract better luck than attempting to extract favors from those new individuals. You'll be amazed at how karma can reward a mindset like this in the long run."
--Jack Griffin, CEO at Atlas World Group, parent company of moving company Atlas Van Lines.
Consider increasing luck as a two-step process.
"The first step is to infuse change into a system or process--this by itself may produce amazing results. But even more important is to notice what happens afterwards. Going in, you may have expected or hoped for A, B, and C to occur. Yet the most impactful outcome to the organization may be an E or F choice. Since they were unplanned or unexpected, one might call them 'luck.' In fact, it is just an awareness of positive results rather than being committed to expectations."
--Justin Tysdal, CEO of Seven Corners, Inc., an international travel insurance and specialty benefit management company.
Hire people with stellar character.
"The more time and resources we invest into hiring and keeping the best talent, the luckier our organization gets. At Crew Carwash, we make it our top priority to hire individuals with a strong work ethic and even better character, which results in an outstanding customer service experience. This has become the main focus of our brand, and it has created loyal customers since our founding in 1948. It also makes coming to work each day really enjoyable."
--Bill Dahm, CEO of Crew Carwash, one of the largest exterior-only carwash companies in the U.S. and honored as a "Top Small Workplace" by The Wall Street Journal.
Invest in tomorrow.
"Just as you can't get lucky in a lottery without buying a ticket, you can't win at business without risking an investment. If you speak to successful business people, they'll tell you about how many times they failed or how close they were before things turned around. Business isn't just delivering on your product or service, it's investing in your network, investing in tomorrow, and surrounding yourself with the right team. If you want to succeed, you need to ensure you're pushing, pulling, and dragging that team. It requires focus, discipline, and an unapologetic resolve."
--Douglas Karr, CEO of DK New Media, which helps marketing and tech companies build awareness, authority, trust and ROI online with measured marketing strategies.
