10 Minute Genius: Frederik Anseel on success and luck of the draw

Our news feeds are inundated with success stories of people who got rich quick, who climbed the career ladder to the top, even people who became overnight viral sensations. But how much of these people’s success comes down to hard work, versus being in the right place at the right time and having a little good luck on their side? When it comes to being successful, is there really any difference between someone who won the lottery and someone who founded a billion dollar tech startup?   If we know how this game of chance works -  why do we keep clicking on those stories about successful business people in our newsfeeds? 

Whatever your definition is of success, there seems to be no shortage of advice out there about how you can get a taste of it. In under ten minutes, or roughly the same amount of time it takes to make an elevator pitch to a venture capitalist, Professor Frederik Anseel explains how you can increase your chances of becoming successful.“If there’s one thing we can learn from lucky people it’s that you’ve got to be in it to win it,” Prof. Anseel says.

Frederik Anseel is Professor of Management and Senior Deputy Dean at the UNSW Business School. He studies the motivational microfoundations of why and how people contribute to organisational success. Recent work focuses on how individuals can overcome motivational obstacles during the innovation and entrepreneurial process to “keep their fire burning”. His research has been published in leading journals, and his work has also been featured in public media.