Friday the 13th is here, and we get another one next month. Thoughts of Friday the 13th got me thinking about luck, so I decided to poke around among the writings of our <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/">Leading Voices</a> to see what I could find. Lucky me, I found quite a few references to luck.

Sometimes we get to choose our teammates; other times external factors rule. <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/will-lukang/">Will Lukang</a> looks back on his childhood basketball days and says, "What a great feeling to be picked first, but that’s not my luck as I’m not the best player and usually play a backup role." He goes on to explore the art and skill of building teams in <a href="http://willlukang.com/2014/05/28/surrounding-with-the-right-people/" target="_blank">Surrounding Yourself With The Right People</a>, with a special eye to including people in your inner circle who have different skill sets than  you.

When you do hit the sweet spot of collaboration, luck means good fortune. <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/susan-mazza/" target="_blank">Susan Mazza</a>, in her article <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/can-collaboration-prevail/" target="_blank">Can Collaboration Prevail</a>, celebrates those who are <em>lucky</em> enough to experience the extraordinary intrinsic rewards of being part of a team, whether they experience it in school or at work.

<a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mike-henry/" target="_blank">Mike Henry, Sr.</a>, in his article <a href="http://mikehenrysr.com/2012/11/23/heroic-choices/" target="_blank">Heroic Choices</a>, discusses the difference between doing heroic things versus living as a hero. He asks: "Have you been <em>lucky</em> enough to get by with the heroic path yet?"

In preparing for the heroic path of war, <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/chip-bell/" target="_blank">Chip Bell</a> wrote about<a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/change-management-lessons-from-eating-snakes-and-rats/" target="_blank">Change Management Lessons From Eating Snakes & Rats</a>. Ultimately, his post was not the jungle for which he trained, but the lessons stuck for a lifetime.

"I was <em>lucky</em>. The geography of the region of Vietnam where I served was much like the southeastern U.S. farmland where I grew up. While there were monsoons and tropical vegetation, there was no jungle. But, the superb Army Jungle School experience stayed with me. And, when I am asked by a senior leader to facilitate a large systems change, I find myself metaphorically thinking, 'How can we encourage queasy, skeptical employees to eat snakes and rats?'"

Here at Lead Change Group, we often talk about ways to measure results. <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/karin-hurt/" target="_blank">Karin Hurt</a>, in <a href="http://letsgrowleaders.com/communication-listening/results-make-the-brand/" target="_blank">Great Leadership Produces Great Results</a>, notes that results that can’t be replicated are <em>luck</em>.

Sometimes, we have to realize our own strengths, such as the situation <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mary-schaefer/" target="_blank">Mary Schaefer</a> described in <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/job-security-change-your-mind-change-your-life/" target="_blank">Job Security - Change Your Mind, Change Your Life</a>. She writes, "I learned from this experience that they were <em>lucky</em> to have me. I had a lot going for me whether I stayed or left. I would never feel at the mercy of this type of situation again."

In keeping with the theme of knowing your own strengths, <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/author/jane-perdue/" target="_blank">Jane Perdue </a>cautions against a self-effacing <em>I was lucky</em> when you are paid a compliment. In <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/a-humblebrag-isnt-the-answer/" target="_blank">A Humblebrag Isn't The Answer</a>, Jane explains, "Individuals might believe your denials and fail to give you credit when credit is due."

Lastly, I hope that this situation is a hypothetical for many of you, but as <a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/david-dye/" target="_blank">David Dye</a> writes, in <a href="http://trailblazeinc.com/resources/engage-newsletter/jan-2015/" target="_blank">When Your Team Won't Work Together</a>: "If you ask people to work together and then you tolerate obnoxious, conniving, bullying, abusive people, good <em>luck</em>."