By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
What does luck have to do with it? This is a question that nurse leaders rarely ask when they discuss their career successes. I was intrigued to see Jim Collins and Morten Hansen, authors of Great by Choice, devote a whole chapter to this topic in their book. Thomas Jefferson said, “I am a great believer in luck, and find that the harder I work, the more I have of it. As Jefferson noted, is luck an outcome of hard work, or is it something that happens in one’s career and one can capitalize on it or not?
Defining Luck
Collins and Hansen define a lucky event as having the three components:
- A significant aspect of the luck event occurs largely independent of the actions of the individual who experiences it.
- The event has a potentially significant consequence (either good or bad).
- The event has some element of unpredictability.
Luck, as defined by these authors, is an event that is largely out of your control. Although it may be random, some individuals are more likely than others to recognize luck and seize the opportunity. A graduate student (then a manager) volunteered to meet her systems CNE at the airport because her own CNO was unavailable. The airport was one hour from the CNE’s hotel. During that hour, they had a life-altering conversation. The Systems CNE asked many questions during their ride. She was very impressed with my graduate student and ultimately offered her a systems-level position. It is unlikely that this career opportunity would have happened without that interaction with the CNE.
Capitalizing on Luck
At some point in your path to becoming a nurse leader, you will likely experience a lucky break. Luck is not a career strategy, but capitalizing on luck when it occurs is. Collins and Hansen offer some critical advice on how to manage luck. This involves four things:
- Cultivating the ability to zoom in and recognize luck when it happens.
- Developing the wisdom to see when and when not to let luck disrupt your plans.
- Being sufficiently prepared to endure an inevitable spate of bad luck.
- Creating a positive return on both good and bad luck.
The secret to capitalizing on luck begins with the right attitude and stems from humility, intellectual curiosity, and optimism. We can’t cause, control, or predict fortune. We should be aware that most of us, at some point will get a lucky break that could propel our careers forward if we act on it.
Read to Lead
Collins, J. & Hansen, M.T. (2011). Great by Choice. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
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