Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is one of the most celebrated and inspiring leaders of our generation. By every measure, he’s reached the pinnacle of entrepreneurial success – he founded the internet advertising cooperative, Link Exchange, in 1996 when he was 23 years old, and sold it two years later to Microsoft for $265 million. He then co-founded a venture fund- Venture Frogs – that invested in a variety of tech start-ups including Opentable and Zappos. In 1999, he joined Zappos as its CEO when it was producing $1.6 million in revenue. By 2009, Zappos’ revenues had exceeded the $1 billion mark, and attracted the attention of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who ultimately acquired the online retailer for a reported $1.2 billion. Hsieh’s a Renaissance man, and his thinking continues to reshape the modern workplace environment. He’s a passionate leader who’s highest purpose is to ‘Deliver Happiness’ to his customers and employees alike. He’s a smart entrepreneur because only A-players make his team. And he’s got big-time guts because he wasn’t afraid to bet everything he had to see his dream for Zappos come true. Yet, when you ask him about his journey, the 38 year old is likely to attribute a lot of his success to Luck. In the brilliant new book – Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck – co-author and Cue Ball venture fund founder, Anthony Tjan tells us that luck is present with almost all business-builders; and with the right attitude, you can even influence it. “Luck matters. Without it, Heart is a dream deferred, Smarts is just another bright or savvy person walking down the street, and Guts is scatter-shot intensity or stoic resilience waiting for something to tip. Whether it is serendipitous timing, a chance encounter, or a concept that ignites a deep need consumers never realized they had, Luck will always play a role in the business journey.” Here’s how Tjan’s research will help you influence your luck ….
