There is a social media and professional recruitment platform frenzy right now, pushing low-quality, AI-generated leadership slop.

It’s all focused on having the “right mindset”, “resilience in the face of adversity”, “extreme motivation”, and the idea that “you can do anything you put your mind to”.

We talk a lot on LinkedIn and other platforms about the “hustle” and mindset, but let’s be real: hard work is just the baseline. Sometimes, that is just not enough to succeed.

If I look back, most of my professional career was a series of coincidences, good luck, and people taking a chance on me.

I never dreamed of being a Team Lead until my manager gave me a chance. I never wanted to change jobs until I got the right phone call, from the right company, at the exact right moment.

You can have a relentless work ethic, but joining the right team, company, or industry at the perfect time? Or having someone champion your growth?

That’s not a mindset metric. That’s serendipity.

Let’s normalize acknowledging the silent partners of success: timing, the right people, supportive partners, family, and pure luck.

This is mandatory for our mental health and for avoiding burnout.

Who took a chance on you when you needed it most?