The secret to success? Believe in luck

It’s safe to say Jeremy Scott from Bournemouth is having a lucky year. In March while working as a chauffeur, he told his boss about his plans to set up a driving business. By the end of the journey, Scott’s boss had offered to finance his idea – along with the gift of a £110,000 limousine to kickstart the business.

Of course, there’s an element of luck to everyone’s career. Whether you’re a chief executive or an artist – your accomplishments won’t be based on hard work alone. How can they be when the place you were born accounts for your education, which determines whether you learn to read, write or complete qualifications – which in turn limits your career choices.

Many people believe success is down to talent and hard work, but “this is because most people underestimate the role of chance”, says psychologist Dr Elizabeth Nutt Williams. “We do a lot of work to prepare for our careers – education, training, taking advantage of mentoring – all of which tend to be in our control.” People don’t like to acknowledge the role of luck in their work, as it undermines this feeling of being in control, adds Williams.

Psychologists have found that people tend to estimate the likelihood of an outcome based on how easily they recall similar circumstances (by a process called “the availability heuristic”). This means that when talented, hard working people think of their success the first thing that comes to mind is the hard work they put into the task, not the fortunate circumstances that enabled them to succeed, explains psychologist Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow.

Even harder to recall is the remote, abstract idea that they may not have prospered in different circumstances. Studies show that events that work to our disadvantage are easier to recall than those that affect us positively – meaning we are again, less likely to feel lucky.

Everyone remembers working hard, so people are more likely to overestimate how much of their success is down to hard graft than something much more slippery like luck.

The reality of success (at least in monetary terms) is less clear cut. In the UK, studies show where you are born is likely to determine how much you earn. 2017 research from the Social Mobility Commission found that there is a “class pay gap”, where professional employers from poorer backgrounds are paid almost £7,000 less a year – despite having the same role, education and experience as colleagues from more privileged families. Similarly, black graduates earn up to 23% less per hour than white university leavers, whereas woman in the UK earn 14% less on average than men.

Socio-economic status also plays a big role in the profession you enter. A recent study by the Debrett’s Foundation found seven in every 10 young people aged 16-25 use family connections to get their first job. While research has shown that less able, richer children are 35% more likely to become high earners than their brighter, poorer peers.

The truth is: chance and coincidences contribute more to our careers than we like to think. Realising that parts of your career are out of your control sounds dispiriting, but being grateful for the role of luck in your career can actually make you more fortunate.

This is because when you acknowledge the role of luck in your work, you become ready to take advantage of more fortunate moments. “Chance events occur but it is all about the individual’s readiness to see those events as possibilities and their willingness to take a risk,” says Williams. “[Success] is about keeping your antenna up, staying optimistic, and pairing your motivation, skills and hard work with a flexible view of your future.”

Talent and hard work are behind almost all success stories – but they simply aren’t enough. Whenever we prosper, it may be worth being grateful for the role of chance in our lives. It may even make you luckier.

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