“I think life is simpler than we tend to think. We look for answers and more answers. But there are no answers. Things happen in life, good things and bad. People say, ‘Why did it happen to me?’ Well, why not? Some people win the lottery, and others die in a car crash. It happens, and there is nothing we can do about it.” - Nando Parrado
A few years ago I had the most interesting dinner of my life. I met Nando Parrado, one of the members of the Uruguayan rugby team that was stranded in the Andes Mountains for 72 days as the result of the tragic plane crash dramatized in the movie “Alive: Miracle in The Andes”. The team eventually resorted to cannibalism to survive the horrific ordeal. My favorite part of my discussion with Nando was the effect that luck has on life. Here are a few take-aways from my evening with a truly lucky, resilient and amazing individual.
1. Luck is uncontrollable.
The night before Nando’s life-changing flight, the pilot called to tell the team that they had a few extra seats in the plane and invited them to bring some family along for the trip. Nando made a call home, caught his mom and sister, and asked then to join him. They were available and boarded the plane with him the next day.
When the plane hit the first mountain peak, it cut off the rear of the plane. Everyone sitting in rows 11 and above was killed on impact. Unfortunately, Nando’s sister and mother were in row 12. As Nando explained it, you just never know what is going to happen in life, and any day any one of us could be sitting in row 12. Life is controlled by luck.
2. Take chances.
While trying to climb out of the Andes, there were three different decision points where they needed to go left or right. One way was their chance for life. The other way would mean death. They had no way of knowing until they ultimately reached civilization. As luck would have it, they picked the right way three times in a row and lived to tell their story.
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” - Woody Allen
I have often thought about this story while dealing with many of the decisions necessary to run a business. We can’t control luck, but we can make ourselves available to take advantage of opportunities. Being out there talking, networking, looking at deals, and creating opportunities is what creates luck. This is what companies must do to grow.
The negative impact of luck is what happened with the disastrous economic downturn of 2009. We could either shrink away and disappear, or we could take advantage of the situation, pivot the business model, and make things happen. Make your own luck happen.
“For a brief, magical moment, all my fears lifted, and I knew that I would not let death control me. I would walk through the godforsaken country that separated me from my home with love and hope in my heart.” - Nando Parrado
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