I recently read a blog in an Australian paper which linked luck to a person’s success in business. I was not convinced.

Just over a year ago,  a blog on the Forbes website argued that “all financially successful people only have two real things in common: luck and timing.” Again, too simplistic for me.

If you are a religious person, you would argue that divine fate is at play. However, many a preacher will also explain that we are given choices in life and it is up to us to choose the correct path. So how does that apply in business? I want to take three brief case studies of mentoring clients of mine in Israel, their recent troubles and their responses.

Story 1: A small manufacturer approached me with cash flow issues hitting him hard – banks phoning regularly, clients procrastinating, car bills mounting, etc. Yet after a few brief sessions, he was starting to pay off debts. The difference resulted from him remembering to do all the basic things that relate to any business. In this case, he collected outstanding payments from clients and then continued on to find some new (lucrative) contracts.

Story 2: Despite an excellent corporate cv, the client was having a rough few months. Yet, suddenly the phone begand to ring with a series of new and highly profitable customers. My client had not even been touting them. However, he had been in touch with them previously, directly or through third parties, delivering professional advice pro bono. His reward just took a long time to come through.

Story 3: This client runs an efficient operation in a quiet Jerusalem neighbourhood. For all the talent of the management, sales had been weak and this had been justified as other locals were also suffering. After a sharp prod, they were back on the sales trail. In fact, one new customer then recommended another.

So what are the common themes that brought about these changes? It was not simply a matter of telling them ‘you can do it’.

All of my clients tapped into their passion, which is why and how they set up shop in the first place. Second, and equally important, the turnaround came about because each top person started or continued to do their best – the very utmost of what they are capable of delivering, and every day. It was these qualities, which brought in the extra revenues.

Luck? No, they created their own success by using their skills and environment.