Leadership Lessons From The Last Penny

By Jillian Broaddus and Chuck Cusumano

A lot has changed in 200 years… And not many entities have been around to see it all—besides steam engines, stethoscopes, and the metric system, to name a few.  But perhaps the most stubborn survivor of all is something whose use, purpose, and design have remained relatively unchanged: the humble penny.

However, after more than 232 years, this week marks the first week without the production of the mighty penny. While we’re sure to see a few of the billions still in circulation for the rest of our lives (in couch cushions, pants pockets, and sidewalk cracks, most likely), we wanted to give an ode to a monumental ending in our country’s history.

So, in honor of the common copper coin, we’re refreshing our piece on “How to Be a Lucky Leader.”

After all, to quote the movie “Titanic,” “A real man makes his own luck.”  However, is that necessarily true?

We believe there is a way you CAN be more lucky in life and leadership.

Here are a few ways we’ve reported on before (Source) and a few of our new favorites:

1. Shoot your shot! As the old adage goes, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So… are you shooting? After all, you can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.

2. Go with your gut! Research shows that overanalyzing can negatively impact your likelihood of making the best decisions in life. Richard Wiseman confirmed this in his book, The Luck Factor, where he noted that typically “lucky” people tend to follow their intuition much more often than typically “unlucky” participants. Malcolm Gladwell expands on the idea that our intuition is a lot more powerful (and knowledgeable than we think) in his book, Blink, where he argues that our gut decisions are actually due to "a steady accumulation of knowledge that lies below the surface and comes out in the form of intuition." So, when in doubt, listen to yourself!

3. Be optimistic! Being positive and emotionally present can literally open up your world and opportunities. Christine Carter from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California describes this philosophy with an example of finding a parking space: “If you’re anxious that you won’t find a parking place, then literally your vision narrows. You lose your peripheral vision.”

4. Surround yourself with lucky people. You are who you spend the most time with, and if it IS possible to make your own luck, it may behoove you to surround yourself with other lucky people. Watch their actions and see what rubs off to bring some momentum into your own life.

5. Keep a “Luck Log.” Noticing when, where, and perhaps why you’ve been lucky helps you see patterns, stay open, and feel more empowered. Start noting moments you’ve gotten lucky and stop to ask yourself: “What led to this?”

Farewell to the penny! Let us know how we can help you become a lucky leader by emailing hello@thejoshuagroup.net.