Hard Work and a Little Bit of Luck

I recently read a very good article in Forbes Magazine by Jason Belzer. It was titled "Why the Oregon Ducks Teach Us That Luck Isn't Everything."

I agree that there is little question that luck plays a tremendous role in the outcome of an given circumstance, but there is no doubt that the pursuit of excellence and greatness is a combination of hard work, effort, your return on luck, dedication and passion.

I recently shared these thoughts with our City Executive Team, as outlined in the article by Jason Belzer.

• Luck in and of itself is not enough to make any one individual or organization great, rather it creates the opportunity for greatness.
• Entrepreneurial Forethought, Pioneering Innovation, and Disciplined Overacheivement. These are the principles that allow organizations like the City of Foster City to capitalize on lucky events through exacting preparation and precise execution.
• Everyone understands that in order to keep us pointed in the right direction, even when things might seem perfectly fine, they have to be willing to hold each other equally accountable. We have to stay entrepreneurially oriented, but professionally managed.
• At the City of Foster City, we lead by inspired standards, not inspired personalities.
  

So I challenge our team to adhere to these principles and be greater by choice!