Most successful people will tell you that hard work and talent will get them where they want to go. Few would admit that luck is at least as important. Some of us are born into more fortunate circumstances than others. But we can all do more to make our own fortunes, and be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. In this episode, Isabelle Barwick, Professor of Business Psychology at UCL and Columbia University and Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, talks to us about The Talent Delusion and Why Do So Many Incompetent Leaders. We speak to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of books such as “Will it be?” Together with FT jobs and careers writer Emma Jacobs, they discuss why luck is a taboo subject, how it helps the wrong people develop and what managers can do to level the playing field. Let’s discuss whether it is possible.
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Why it’s often luck, not talent, that gets us to the top
Rich people have advantages that money can’t buy.
The immense value of a career that comes from a little bit of luck at the beginning.
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Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Misha Frankl-Duvall, mixed by Simon Panay. The executive producer is Manuela Zaragoza. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.
Read the transcript of this episode on FT.com
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