May Busch* has some advice on making our own luck to advance careers by seizing ‘pivotal moments’.
Have you ever wondered how some people got so lucky?
Have you ever asked yourself: “How come they got that exciting opportunity?”, or: “What did they do to get that promotion?”
More likely than not, it’s because they took advantage of pivotal moments.
These are opportunities for key people to see you in action.
They’re times when what you do or don’t do, what you say or don’t say, can make a fundamental difference to your career trajectory.
Looking back on your career so far, what turning points do you see?
It’s easy to miss pivotal moments — like letting a day go by without connecting with someone you’ve lost touch with.
Or ignoring the anonymous colleague you bump into regularly at the coffee machine to rush back to your desk.
Or not showing up at the event you paid to attend because you have so much work to do.
Pivotal moments are often easier to see in hindsight.
That’s one of the reasons we agonise about the things we should have done or shouldn’t have said when it’s too late.
There are potential pivotal moments all around you every day.
You just have to venture forth and capture them.
Any of them could lead to your ‘lucky breaks’ – the ones that help you advance in your career farther, faster and potentially in a different direction.
These are some examples of pivotal moments in my own career.
Saying no to an opportunity to work in the highest-paid, most prestigious group in our division at the time.
Instead I took on a less impressive role, but one that suited my strengths much better. This allowed me to shine.
Taking the opportunity to transfer to London to start a new client coverage business for my employer.
This meant uprooting my husband and our three young daughters from a very happy life in New York.
We loved London so much that we still live there.
Saying yes to participating on a panel even though it would be a three-hour drive round trip and staying in a makeshift dorm room overnight.
This turned out to be an opportunity to work for the president of the most innovative university in the United States.
Being the first in the audience to raise my hand and ask the question after a keynote speech, even though I was really nervous.
This led to the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with the speaker, the Chief Executive of one of the top 10 corporations in the world.
Each of these actions and decisions led to outcomes I hadn’t expected or planned for when I took them.
The good news is you don’t have to wait for ‘lucky breaks’ to come around.
You can start creating them yourself by capturing more of those pivotal moments.
Show up at different places:
Challenge yourself to step back and look for a better way to approach what you’re doing.
As you do that, make sure you’re freeing up time and mind space for showing up in new circles and new situations.
Where are you showing up now and where do you want to show up going forward?
How do you want to change things up?
Come from a place of wonder and curiosity:
When you show up, you want to do it as your best self.
Coming from a place of wonder and curiosity makes it easier to show up as the most delightful version of you.
It’s about being other-focused, not self-focused.
Instead of falling into the rut of being preoccupied with your own challenges and aspirations, you’ll be that refreshing person who’s more interested in the person you’re talking to.
That will set you apart and make you instantly amazing to others.
A great way to do this is to ask questions, especially open-ended ones.
Then, listen to their answers as though they are the most important person in the world at that moment.
Lucky breaks are far more likely to occur when you’re fully in the moment and appreciating others around you.
Be open to good luck:
Being open doesn’t mean going around seeking or expecting lucky breaks.
It’s more about allowing lucky breaks into your life and seeing the opportunity rather than the challenge.
It could be: “Today could be the day I meet the person who will become my best client, be my sponsor, or help my daughter get a new job.”
Lucky breaks don’t always come with a name tag or flashing neon sign.
Sometimes, you have to follow up a few steps before it becomes apparent.
The connection you make could be the connection that leads to the connection, or the stepping stone that leads to advancing your career and landing your dream job.
When you learn to recognise a potential pivotal moment, you’ll be far more likely to be able to seize it.
That makes it easier to create those moments by putting yourself in a position to have more lucky breaks.
Whether you’re having an amazing career, feeling stuck or something in between, pivotal moments are the key to maintaining and gaining momentum.
The good news is they’re all around you.
Once you start noticing, you’ll be able to take advantage of them and even create those lucky breaks to advance your career.
* May Busch helps leaders and their organisations achieve their full potential. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared on May’s blogsite