What is the one thing that guarantees success? Something accessible to anybody and which everybody can develop? The one factor that levels the playing field and eliminates the “LUCK FACTOR.” According to Denis Waitley, author of “The Winner’s Edge”, the single predictor of success is not luck, IQ, or inert talent, but rather Attitude.

“The winner's edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner's edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success.”

Denis Waitley

That is not to say luck doesn’t play a role in success, neither does it mean inert talent and a high IQ should be disregarded. Warren Buffet said it best during a Q&A session with MBA Students at the University of Florida in 1998. Here’s a snippet of what he calls the Ovarian Lottery.

>>>

I have been extraordinarily lucky. I mean, I use this example and I will take a minute or two because I think it is worth thinking about a little bit. Let’s just assume it was 24 hours before you were born and a genie came to you and he said, “Herb, you look very promising and I have a big problem.

I got to design the world in which you are going to live in. I have decided it is too tough; you design it. … You say, “I can design anything? There must be a catch?” The genie says there is a catch. You don’t know if you are going to be born black or white, rich or poor, male or female, infirm or able-bodied, bright or retarded.

All you know is you are going to take one ball out of a barrel with 5.8 billion (balls). You are going to participate in the ovarian lottery. And that is going to be the most important thing in your life because that is going to control whether you are born here or in Afghanistan or whether you are born with an IQ of 130 or an IQ of 70.

It is going to determine a whole lot. What type of world are you going to design?

[Read the full interview here]

<<<

It is obvious we can’t downplay the place of luck. Whether you believe you are lucky or not, there is always an element of luck in every success story. However, we can’t simply wait for luck to bring us success. The Luck Factor is more of an intangible factor in the sense that we can’t decide to be lucky.

Which means it is not within our control. So if it’s not luck, what then can give us a winning edge? That is where Attitude comes in. There are several definitions of Attitude, but here is one I like the most;

“A mental position with regard to a fact or state”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Your “Mental Position” (mindset) forms the very core of your attitude. If you believe you don’t have what it takes to start and run a successful business. This mindset could prevent you from doing just that. If you believe that you can own a successful business, your mind will be open to opportunities that will set you up for success.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how much luck or talent you have. If your attitude toward success is negative, there’s a chance you’ll always have a negative outcome, not because the opportunities are not there but because you will fail to see them.

Aside from seeing available opportunities, your attitude also determines your Risk Appetite. Successful people are risk takers, the more risk you are willing to take, the better your chances of success. Of course, I am referring to calculated risk as opposed to uncalculated risk, which is equivalent to Gambling.

Calculated risk is a product of research. It is based on a strategy that takes into account the risk involved.

Another criterion for success is Grit. Defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals, author and psychologist Angela Duckworth’s research shed more light on the importance of grit for success. She concluded that grit a noncognitive trait is important for achieving difficult goals.

“…..these findings suggest that the achievement of difficult goals entails not only talent but also the sustained and focused application of talent over time.”

Angela Duckworth

Let’s go back to the very beginning - what is it that gives winners an edge over losers? Attitude. Your attitude determines everything else including how you see failure, take on challenges, and your willingness to persevere until success is achieved.

‍