The Secret To Making Your Own Luck
-Peter Guber
I find the most
“lucky” people in business are the ones who first start with a clear intention
of what they want. They can articulate it, describe it, feel it, and make it
absolutely real. In a sense, they visualize it already done, and are pulled
towards it as their goal. They see the process and its outcome as aspirational
not perspirational. Their attitude, as much or more than their aptitude, drives
the destiny of their goal.
The “lucky” ones
realize they must work harder than everyone else. When success doesn’t happen,
their patience and persistence forces them to ask the critical questions as to
why the process hit a speed bump. With this acute sensitivity, they’re
constantly making course corrections to their goal.
Making your “luck”
for whatever your goal, requires your authenticity. More often than not, you’re
trying to persuade others to become cohorts in the process or at least buy into
your proposition. In almost every case, collaboration for execution is necessary.
And so, you must always be interested in what’s in it for them. Can you make it
a win/win proposition so you’re both “lucky?” If there’s risk, and there’s
always risk where you think there’s “luck,” are you shining the light on the
risk – demonstrating you have skin in the game? If you’re partners in the
outcome, you must proclaim that you will laugh and cry together.
It’s a hard job to
get “lucky.”
I know. For 15
years I tried and failed to own a major league sports team. My quest started as
CEO at Sony in the 1990’s, where my clear intention was to move my experience
with location based entertainment into sports. I had led studios, made huge
numbers of films, ran a huge global exhibition circuit and thought major league
sports were a great forum for my transportable skills. Pulled toward this goal,
I worked ferociously to buy the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings as
the requirement to acquire Prime Ticket for Sony. At virtually the final
moment, Bruce McNall, the owner of the LA Kings, called to say that he could
not sign, and in fact, was being indicted by the federal government and the
whole thing quickly unraveled and failed. Talk about “unlucky!”
Undeterred, persistent and always willing to do the work, I
teamed with a few business financial partners in an attempt to acquire the
Miami Heat from operating heads and investors, Billy Cunningham and Lewis
Schaffel. We made the deal only to find
out that the current owners’ father, Ted Arison, had the right to match any
offer – which he did. Game over. Unlucky yet again!
“Bad luck” didn’t
stop there. I tried and failed to close a deal with Billy Beane of Moneyball
fame to purchase the Oakland A’s. The Commissioner squashed it saying MLB
wanted to contract two major league baseball teams, one of which was the
Oakland A’s. The deal fell apart and contraction never happened. In 2004, I
became partners to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time together
with Joe Lacob and Frank McCourt. When McCourt named his wife as President and
CEO of the business, I knew the four of us couldn’t sleep on one pillow at
night – there went that opportunity!
Questioning why I
kept experiencing these speed bumps, I ultimately determined that I needed to
change course. I channeled my experience, talents, energy and enthusiasm into
minor league sports, specifically, baseball and hockey. Hockey failed – the
audience didn’t give a puck. But, I ignited my baseball interests. Together
with partners like Magic Johnson, I built a formidable minor league professional
baseball empire comprised of teams and stadiums across the country. My
partnership with Magic Johnson and many years of demonstrated successes paved
the way for me to become an integral part of the ownership of today’s storied
Los Angeles Dodgers with Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Group.
You want to know
how many people told me I was “lucky” to own the Los Angeles Dodgers? Damn
right I’m “lucky!” I earned it!
