How To Achieve Bigger Goals By Changing The Odds

Dive in for a fascinating read as you discover the life-changing power of probabilistic thinking, taught by Kyle Austin Young in his new book, Success Is A Numbers Game.

“Every goal that you’re pursuing has two hidden numbers attached to it—a probability of success and a probability of failure,” explains Young, “If you can make the first number bigger and the second number smaller, you can rewrite your predicted outcome.”

“Whether you’re trying to start a business, run a marathon, get a promotion, earn a pilot’s license, grow a bumper crop of tomatoes, or sign an acting deal, these two percentages are always lurking in the shadows predicting what is going to happen.”

But, adds Young, "Most of us never think about them. We assume our odds are unknowable and unchangeable. This dangerous lie leads millions of people to fail at goals where they were perfectly capable of succeeding. You can choose a smarter path,” encourages Young.

In Success is a Numbers Game, you’ll discover:

Success Diagram: A game-changing new way to diagram a goal and deepen your understanding of how likely you are to achieve it. Success diagraming gives you a clearer view of the path ahead, the obstacles you might face, and most importantly, your odds of success.

Probability Hacking: A five-step framework for hacking your “success diagram” to dramatically improve your odds of getting the outcome you want.

Goal-Oriented Decision-Making: An upgraded approach to decision making that illuminates optimal choices by exposing potential futures to help you make smarter, more confident choices.

Goal Strategies: A simple test for knowing which of your biggest goals to prioritize and which to quit immediately. Or, when to pivot with purpose when the odds aren’t on your side.

Developed by award-winning strategy consultant Young — a writer for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Psychology Today — this probability hacking framework harnesses tactics that have been battle tested in business, art, education, philanthropy, politics, sports, and more.

The book includes stories of the life-changing power of probabilistic thinking from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, and a team of Olympic athletes. And don’t miss the part of the book where Young debunks this popular “wisdom” about success (and what to do instead):

“If at first you don’t’ succeed, try, try, again.”
“Hard work is the key to success.”

In the context of a single goal, Young's system could be the secret advantage that changes your outcome. Over the course of several goals, it could transform the trajectory of your career. Applied to a lifetime of goals, it can level up your legacy.

“By better understanding your odds of success and carefully using this simple system, you’re ready to win more, lose less, and wake up with the sturdy confidence that comes from having the odds on your side,” says Young.

Kyle Austin Young

Young shares these additional insights with us:

Question: What made you write Success Is A Number Game?

Young: I believe millions of people are failing at goals where they could have been successful because they lack the tools to optimize their odds. Over the past decade, my consulting work has empowered me to develop a powerful system for accomplishing big, important goals. I've shared bits and pieces in HBR, Forbes, Fast Company, and Psychology Today. The book was an opportunity to help people experience a more comprehensive breakthrough.

Question: How can we become more resilient?

Young: When we think about how to become more resilient by overcoming self-doubt, many people focus on the idea of self. We're afraid we don't have what it takes, and we respond with positive thoughts about our ability or potential. I encourage people to focus less on self and more on their odds of success.

Success isn't all about you — it's about avoiding potential bad outcomes. When we focus on what we can do to improve our odds, we can escape the hamster wheel of self-doubt by recognizing that:

1) Our ability to control the future is limited. Failure is not an indictment on our worth or potential.

2) When we do everything we can to optimize our odds, we can expect to win more over time and enjoy more success in our lives.

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.

Comments

Bite-Sized, Daily Notes For Contemplation, Inspiration, Connection, And Clarity

Everyone can benefit from the new book, Dear Friend , which features bite-sized, daily notes for contemplation, inspiration, connection, and clarity. Busy and stressed business leaders can particularly benefit from the 365 profound, heartfelt reflections from author Michelle Maros , founder of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life and cohost of the podcast, Life Happens with Barb and Michelle . Dear Friend invites readers to go deep and use the notes as a daily practice that compounds over time, nurturing strength, resilience, and clarity. In just a few minutes each day, this book will offer you a daily reprieve when you feel burned out, beaten down, or overwhelmed by the strains and stresses of modern life. The heart of Dear Friend began in the quiet mornings Michelle shared with her mom, Barb. Every day, they would sit together, reading affirmations or passages from Barb’s beloved books. These small rituals—simple but powerful—set the tone for each day, grounding...

How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose

“It’s time to get intentional about organizational culture and to make it strong on purpose,” explain James D. White and Krista White , authors of the new book Culture Design: How To Build A High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose . “Strong company cultures, deliberately shaped, are the difference between businesses that are great versus those that are just good enough,” they add. The authors define organizational culture as a set of actions, habits, rituals, and beliefs that determine how work gets done, how decisions get made, and how people experience their workplaces. "Strong cultures don't emerge by accident," share the authors. "They're built—with clarity, consistency, and design. This book is your guide to intentionally designing a culture that is resilient, inclusive, powerful, and effective." Informed by over thirty years of operating experience across sectors and in the boardroom, the authors offer these strategies for desig...

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

Six Steps For Discussing Poor Performance With An Employee

As a leader, the time will come when you will have to speak with an employee about his or her poor performance. Here are six steps that will guide you through that process: Tell him what performance is in need of change and be specific. Tell him how his actions negatively affect the team. Let the discussion sink in. Set expectations of performance improvement and timeframe, and get his agreement on the desired outcome. Remind him that he is a valuable part of the team and that you have confidence his performance will improve. Don't rehash the discussion later. You made your point. Give him to make his improvement.

The Phoenix Encounter Method For Leaders

“All businesses sooner or later face the need to reconstruct their future,” explain the authors of the new book, The Phoenix Encounter Method . “They will need to destroy part or all of the incumbent business model in order to build their breakthrough, future-ready organization.” Therefore, this book shares a new method of leadership thinking – the Phoenix Encounter – relevant to all organizations in today’s ever-changing environment. Readers will learn how to proactively bridge the gap between perceiving a threat and doing something about it. Written by three INSEAD professors ( Ian C. Woodward , V. “Paddy” Padmanabhan , Sameer Hasija ) and Rum Charan , you’ll learn the steps needed to create a wider range of options to: Defend your organization Fortify its core business Build specific renewal initiatives The steps are grounded in transformation that includes these three elements : The Phoenix Attitude : a set of mindsets, habits, and behaviors that allows a leader to ...

How To Be An Inspirational Leader

Today, I bring back one of my most-read blog posts from 2017. It read as follows: At the end of each year, I select my choice for the best new leadership book for that year and then highlight that book on my blog. Well, we're only five months into 2017 and there is a new leadership book so good that I can't wait until year-end to share it with you. And it's likely to be among the select few options for best new leadership book of 2017. It's called, The Inspiration Code , by Kristi Hedges . Perhaps now more than any other time, the need for inspirational leadership is critical in the workplace. Filled with profound insights and compelling data and based on a commissioned survey on who and what inspires people, Hedges uncovers a set of consistent, learnable behaviors that dramatically enhance leadership success. And shows you how to inspire those you lead. And, how to energize people every day . Kristi Hedges But, first, what exactly is inspiration? Hedges ex...

Learn How To Identify And Overcome Your Leadership Blindspots

"A blindspot is an unrecognized weakness or threat that has the potential to undermine a leader's success," explains author Robert Bruce Shaw . "Blindspots are tenacious and can reappear, causing problems over a leader's entire career." These blindspots can cause great harm when leaders fail to see what is right in front of them. Compounding the challenge says Shaw is that: "People who are smart and self-assured are often very skillful at justifying their thinking and behavior--to the point of being in denial about their weaknesses and the threats they face. One of the burdens of moving up is that the complexity of the decisions leaders face increases at the same time as their ability to reveal their vulnerabilities decreases . Blindspots are both the result of individual traits and situational factors. According to Shaw, there are 2 0 common leadership blindspots that fall under these four categories : Self Team Company Markets ...

The 10 Questions Leaders Should Ask

Here are 10 important questions business leaders should ask, according to Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge , authors of Helping People Win At Work : Does my business have a clear, meaningful, and easily understood vision/mission? Do I have the right people in the right seats on the bus? Do I have a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal), and have I communicated it to my employees? Are my values driving the behavior I want in my organization? Am I creating a culture that increases employee engagement? Am I cultivating a spirit of internal and external learning? Do my employees know what an A looks like, and am I supporting them to get that A? Are our products/services creating lasting, positive memories for our customers? Do I have the best, most timely data and information to help my business make good decisions? Are our key performance indicators the right ones, and are we measuring what matters? And, one more questions to ask is: Do we ...

42 Ways To Get Better At Getting Better

42 Rules For Getting Better At Getting Better is the sub-title of the new book, Practice Perfect . This is an interesting book because it is co-authored by three teachers and clearly it's a book for and about teachers. But, as the authors remind us, as leaders, we are also teachers. And, that's why Practice Perfect is a valuable read for everyone who wants to help their employees grow and excel through practice. And, although there's a handy three-page summary of the 42 rules toward the end of the book , take the time to read about each rule covered in the chapters: Rethinking Practice How To Practice Using Modeling Feedback Culture of Practice Post-Practice: Making New Skills Stick Key lessons and takeaways for me from the book include the following tips for providing effective feedback when working with someone who is practicing a skill : Correct instead of critique. Ask participants to redo an action differently or better rather than just ...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog