We left off with palms sweating, quick breathing, and my brain double-checking every last aspect of the individual I meant to show against the job requirements - perfect alignment. I presented the candidate.

Friends, the frustration that comes from not achieving victory from a seemingly unwinnable beast is sizable. The hiring manager did not like the candidate! How? Why? What happened?!

It is a fact that the candidate I put forward objective met every single test required. It is also a fact that I had a reliable process for determining whether or not the candidate would be a good fit. Lastly, it is a fact that bad luck heavily influenced my outcome.

The hiring manager came to my meeting from an argument. Their low mood state, which I could not control, led them to see the world in the negative. Nothing was going to make this individual satisfied; none of my efforts mattered, and the fact that I found the person we needed was beside the point. The hiring manager's mood was outside of my control - bad luck.

I had a reasonable chance of receiving approval to make an offer - perhaps a 90% chance. On that day, I ended up winning the 10% I didn't want.

Yes, I could have taken steps to recover the meeting, I know. However, this entry is about luck - when factors outside of your control influence your outcome. In this instance, a negative influence.

In spite of the bad luck, we can still find a silver lining. While "luck" heavily influenced the outcome, I know now that I could offer to schedule another meeting at a different time, or maybe change topics to something not related to my candidate, or listen to the hiring manager vent.

While bad or good luck may influence your outcomes, never pass up the opportunity to learn and grow. Doing so enables you to come alive.