How I Got Here — Talent or Luck?
How much of one’s success is from talent, how much from help along the way, and how much from pure luck?
I just passed the 3 year anniversary of starting up my own consulting business, The Enigma Bureau. Things have been going very well, and I’m truly thankful to the clients and people I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with in that time, and who have entrusted me with some of their toughest problems to solve. I’ve now been in the design field for 25+ years, and I’m also currently teaching students who are just at the beginnings of their careers, in a graduate Design Leadership program.
This all got me in a reflective mood; in the words of the Talking Heads, “Well, how did I get here?”
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking any success you have comes down to talent and hard work. And I’ve certainly worked hard and I think I’m pretty good at what I do. But looking back there are also large amounts of:
- Luck (then seizing on opportunities)
- Getting help from people who know people
- Having role models for inspiration and advice
- Being in the right place at the right time
