11th Oct, 2021
The history of mankind might have been very boring if it was not for great men and women seizing the opportunities that changed their lives.
Whether it is Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Edison, Jamshedji Tata, Walt Disney, Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs or Sachin Tendulkar, we wouldn’t be inspired by any of them.
It’s not just about being in the right place at the right time; but knowing what to do when you find yourself there.
Former US President Dwight Eisenhower was not promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, the lowest rank for generals in the US Army, until October 1941.
That was two months before Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into the Second World War.
There were several generals who held higher ranks and had more impressive résumés.
However, Eisenhower had a combination of interpersonal, leadership, and organisational skills. All were needed to deal with the great challenges of the 2nd World War.
He had to get personalities like Winston Churchill & Charles de Gaulle of France to work together.
Eisenhower leveraged his skills during the war. He rose to the rank of Supreme Commander of Allied Forces. This eventually became his launch pad for his election as President of the United States.
The 2nd World War became the opportunity at the right place and right time for Dwight Eisenhower.
But he also knew how to seize the opportunity that could change his life and make the most of it.
One of the world’s richest men had a similar fortune.
As a kid, Bill Gates was extremely intelligent. He got a unique opportunity when the mothers at his school raised money to pay for a device that connected to a computer over the phone line.
In the newly developing world of computer technology, Bill’s school was one of the only two that had mainframe computers.
Bill was part of a group of math students who were invited to use the system and learn how it worked. He was 13 years old and he was hooked.
Having access to computers at the right place and at the right time became a life changing opportunity for the founder of Microsoft.
But unlike the scores of other students of his class who probably had the same opportunity, Bill Gates seized it with both hands.
The point is that intelligence, skill, and hard work are necessary for success.
But it is finding oneself at the right place and at the right time for the biggest opportunities, and knowing what to do when you find yourself there, which makes all the difference.
Being at the right place at the right time is what Warren Buffet calls as the Chronological Lottery.
We in India, are at the cusp of this lottery, use the opportunity well & stay blessed forever.