On the Attraction of Success or Failure

Look closely at almost any organization, and you’ll find people who land at one of two extremes:

— those who seem to be perpetually lucky: they close favorable deals, stumble onto new clients by accident, somehow steer clear of toxic situations, and so on;

— those who run into trouble like clockwork: something always goes wrong, someone is always to blame, they’re surrounded by dishonest people, partnerships turn into conflicts, claims pile up, the inspectors come knocking.

The first we might call the “golden-hoofed”; the second, the “snakebitten.”

I’ve heard about and met plenty of examples from both worlds:

— One sales manager, who spent less time at his desk than anyone, “somehow” kept meeting people in random places who turned out to be potential clients, signing deals with them — deals that, on top of everything, became the most profitable ones for the company.

— A manager hired himself a new driver, and soon the car started breaking down nonstop, problems showed up at home, the business numbers slid, and before long the regulators arrived for an inspection.

Have you ever tried to consciously identify people like this in your circle or your company? How often do you run that kind of “audit”?

Everything in the world is in motion, and it happens that, over time, people cross from one category into the other.

Sadly, I’ve watched the “golden-hoofed” turn “snakebitten.” What causes it, and what are the markers of that drift? Most often it’s pride: after a run of success, a person starts to believe it was all his own doing. Gratitude drops, the ego swells, and the universe strikes back — as if to say: “Fine, handle it yourself from here.” Other causes might include losing your goal or your bearings in life, a quiet aggression toward the outside world, a break with your own identity. Over the past couple of years, against the backdrop of geopolitical upheaval, stories like these have been everywhere.

It’s worth noting that some people, on the contrary, find themselves at some point and become magnets for success and abundance.

And it’s ours to decide which kind of people we build our inner circle from: our friends, our partners, our colleagues.

Here’s to surrounding ourselves with people whom luck follows! 😎