Opportunity

Opportunity: The Key to Success

 By Mike Thompson

“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” - Benjamin Disraeli

In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that success has less to do with ability and more to do with opportunities. He’s not alone in this opinion; even Napoleon recognized this when he said “ability is of little account without opportunity.” Both appear to be right and evidence Gladwell uses proves it.

One anecdote he uses compares Christopher Langan, a genius with the IQ of 195 (45 higher than Einstein) who ended up working on a rural Missouri horse farm and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. According to Gladwell, both possessed similar innate natural abilities, but Oppenheimer's wealthy upbringing provided him key opportunities that allowed him to become a renowned theoretical physicist. On the other hand, Langan dropped out of college in less than two years after two pivotal setbacks. The first was his mother’s failure to sign the financial aid paperwork on time and the second was the school administration’s decision not to allow him to change his class schedule after the transmission went out in his car.

Would Langan’s outcome have been different if he was raised by a wealthier and more responsible family that provided more opportunities like Oppenheimers? Gladwell would say yes and although there are many other factors to consider I would have to say that I generally agree.

Take a few seconds and think about this. All the best intelligence, talent, ability, passion, or experience a person possesses can be irrelevant if not given an opportunity in a fertile environment at the right time. Profound isn’t it? You can have all the best genes and do all the right things, but without opportunity you will never be able to fully use either of them. No wonder 19^th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said, “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” 

If we want to be a success, we must be able to identify opportunities while they are available and be ready to take advantage of them when they come. In future blogs, we will look at these two issues individually. Until then, remember what Henry Hartman said, “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.”

Vision

Vision: Where are you going?

By Mike Thompson

“Show me a leader without vision, and I’ll show you someone who isn’t going anywhere. At best, he is traveling in circles.” – John C. Maxwell

Would you ever take a road trip or family vacation without having a destination? Of course you wouldn’t, it doesn’t make sense. What would be the point of driving somewhere if you didn’t know where you were going? After all, the point of a road trip or family vacation is to get to the desired location, right?

Unfortunately, this is how most of us go through life. We start driving without having a destination. Sure we have goals and dreams that we would like to accomplish before we die, but we never pick a specific destination. As a result, we drive aimlessly and eventually find ourselves settled in a spot that we never wanted or never saw several years prior. This result comes from lack of vision.

Vision is our destination. It is the place we want to be at the end of our journey. It answers the question, “where are we going?” Without it, there can be no direction. 

Have you ever asked someone for directions to a place you weren’t headed? Of course not, in order to get directions we have to have a destination. Once we have a destination or vision, we can map the roads necessary to get there. Without it, we can never get there.

How do I get a vision?

A vision can come from things like your dreams, values, passions, faith, upbringing, or personal mission. The most effective visions will answer the questions, “what am I born to do” or “what am I born to be?” In his book Leadership 101, John C. Maxwell in regards to vision says, “If what you’re pursuing doesn’t come from a desire within—from the very depths of who you are and what you believe—you will not be able to accomplish it.”

In discovering your vision, brainstorming is a good idea. Write down what you want to accomplish in life, your goals, your dreams, what makes you tic, and what you want to be remembered for. After you brainstorm look over your ideas and see what stands out or sparks a fire in you. Keep in mind even if you’re not completely sure where you want to go, that’s OK but you still need a destination.

Many experiences and transitions in life may change your heart, values, or priorities, but it’s better to pick a destination and pursue it than to wander aimlessly. The key is keeping your vision flexible but always have one to give you direction.