1 THOUGHT:

Zappos, the online shoe retailer’s late founder Tony Hsieh, had an interesting hiring process I learned about prior to his selling to Amazon for $1.2 Billion in 2009.

One of the interview questions used for all potential new hires was “Do you feel you are lucky?”. Odd question, and not one I can say I was ever asked. Any readers that are in HR would probably agree that this was an unusual hiring practice to say the least. Where HR would really have some fits is that if you said “no I’m not lucky” you weren’t getting the job regardless of the other responses.

Such an unusual interview question, and even more so to be a non-negotiable for being hired at Zappos.

Why was being non-lucky a deal breaker for Tony? Since he passed and can’t weigh in we can only make some assumptions.

Is luck something we create or is luck something we are subject to it’s mood?

Accidental great timing, right place at the right time, are all of course contributors to what is called lucky but for the remaining 99% of us luck is created by our efforts in my opinion.

With that said, Tony I feel was asking if a an applicant was lucky to in an odd way determine whether this person was one to find solutions, or was the applicant the type person see and create excuses because of challenges.

The author Simon Sinek I believe in one of his public speaking events shared a story of himself and a friend doing a 5K, a short 3.1 mile run, that like most runs is littered with vendors at the finish line to include those selling high carb treats. Simon and his running partner complete their race and Simon says “hey look, FREE bagels”. His running partner in turn says “but look at that long line”. After some dialogue back and forth between Simon and his running partner a lesson was derived.

I’d suggest you watch the talk yourself, but one of the two primary points being illustrated was that some people see the goal and some people only see the obstacles.

Goal = FREE Bagels

Obstacle = The Long Line

Is luck just that, arbitrary? Or is luck a deliverable only available to those who follow the process, work the plan, and put in the work? Is luck a gift only seen and received by those with the attitude of I’m getting those “free bagels” no matter the challenges? Don’t let me be misunderstood, the “line” is real. Obstacles are all around us but my thought is the “lucky” see the “line” and find ways to accomplish the goal despite it.

Summation: Is luck simply being in the right place at the right time or is luck actually being the right person with the right mindset at the right place at the right time?

1 QUOTE:

“I am a great believer in luck; and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”

– Thomas Jefferson

1 QUESTION:

If luck is determined by our perspective; what changes in our perspective could be adjusted to see opportunities rather than be limited by the challenges. Take a look at what interactions you had in January; did we focus more on the line rather than the bagels? Never too late to reset and maybe even get lucky!

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