Isaac Newton’s “law of work” is a concept derived from his second law of motion, expressed as: Work (W) = Force (F) x Distance (d), or W = Fd. The idea proposes that work is equal to the application of force multiplied by distance—the more force applied over a greater distance, the more work is done. The formula for achieving success using this principle seems simple enough: The daily act of working toward a goal through regular and consistent planning, thinking, and effort (force of action) over the course of time (distance) results in the realization of that goal. Work, in this instance, is indicative by movement (status change). If there is no movement, no work is considered done despite whatever force was applied and intermittent progress made. The force exerted must therefore overcome all resistance encountered. This means if one is eventually defeated by adversity (resistance), it would be as if no work had been done at all because the sum of those efforts did not manifest into a change of status.
Working long and hard is undoubtedly a key part to success, particularly when conditions are not ideal. In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth states “as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.” Her research on grit and perseverance concluded that “Potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” Being the epitome of a workaholic, these traits certainly characterized Newton. The physicist believed that time was the gravest of adversaries in life and so he worked feverishly around the clock. Going to bed in the early morning and then waking just a few hours later to work again, he viewed sleep as an essential that should be kept to a minimum. He would eat to live, rather than live to eat. His regimen never included a scheduled time when he would pause his work to enjoy a full meal, and if not for one of his assistants to remind him, he sometimes forgot to eat altogether. He was also not one to engage in diversionary activity and considered all forms of recreation dispensable luxuries. It is no wonder given the “force” and “distance” that defined his work that he became one of the most prominent figures of the Scientific Revolution and subsequent period of Enlightenment.
Although it was not as widely recognized, Newton likely exceeded the proverbial 10,000 hours of labor that current belief would expect to be required to reach such feats. Popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, the “10,000-hour rule” suggests how much time must be devoted to hone a set of skills to become an expert in any given profession. Viewed as a part-time work commitment (4 hours per day for 260 workdays per year), it would take approximately 10 years to attain a high level of proficiency in an activity or specialty. But does a change in status require more than merely the choice to work longer and harder vis-à-vis this 10K barometer? In the same book, Gladwell makes what I believe is his most salient point when he discusses the “ecology” of success using an oak tree as a metaphor:
The tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. We all know that successful people come from hardy seeds. But do we know enough about the sunlight that warmed them, the soil in which they put down the roots, and the rabbits and lumberjacks they were lucky enough to avoid?
If there is more to “movement” than Newton’s work ethic and habits, what impact do other variables have on the success formula? Gladwell’s position suggests that Newton’s law is an incomplete (and imprecise) calculation because it does not consider the assorted rabbits and lumberjacks in the world. Ask successful people what it takes to succeed, and they commonly refer to many of the foregoing factors including genes, grit, perseverance, passion, and work (lots of it). But if it were possible to observe the entire life span from when that acorn took root to the present day when it matured into the tallest oak, we will likely find that there is much more to the metamorphosis than what they choose to share to the extent they have the knowledge or appreciation of all the circumstances that yielded a benefit. How can the ecology of success inform the court manager in their professional pursuits and achievements? How can they use these revelations in managing their team? How can this knowledge assist their efforts in helping members of the public who did not have the same advantages of soil and sunlight—the absence of which may have put a series of events into motion that propelled them into the very same system where the court manager is seeking success?
***
Toni and I were meeting at a casual restaurant in the Delfin Square strip mall near her home. It was one of our favorite lunch and dinner establishments for poke bowls and ramen. We planned to meet over their specialty drink—a full complement of bubble teas that people traveled near and far to taste. Watching a foreign television program that was playing behind the sushi chefs, Toni had already arrived and was seated at the bar. “Hey stranger,” I greeted her.
She stood up and gave me a hug, kissing both sides of my cheeks, “So good to see you—it’s been a minute.”
“I know—I feel like it’s been forever, but between work and the hustle and bustle of the holidays, time gets away from you,” I remarked.
“No need to explain, however long it’s been.”
“I know I’m preaching to the choir when it comes to being busy.”
“Well, you’re here now so sit, stay awhile. I didn’t want to presume so I didn’t order the teas, but I did get us an order of pork dumplings.”
“Pan fried—I hope.” I replied.
“Did we just meet?”
“Great—you actually read my mind. I walked in and was suddenly in the mood to eat a little something to hold me over until dinner.”
“Always good to be on the same wavelength,” she stated raising her hand to get the waiter’s attention. “I would like a dragon fruit bubble tea.”
“Make that two,” I added.
“My favorite,” the waiter responded. “Would you like tapioca, popping, or jelly.”
“I’m not deviating from my usual—tapioca please,” Toni replied.
“Make that two.”
We began sharing the dumplings, savoring the punchy sauce that accompanies the order—an earthy blend that brings together a salty and sweet flavor. The green onions in the mixture gave it a delicate but refreshing crunch that helped balance out the other ingredients. “Two things,” I stated as I stabilized a dumpling between my chopsticks to dip it into the sauce.
“What’s that?”
“We might need another order of these. And considering you’re on a first-name basis with the owner, I don’t think she’d mind giving you the recipe for this sensational appetizer.”
“Agreed on the first point. Not as certain on the second. We’re friendly, but it might be a family recipe that she’s not keen to share. Besides, I don’t think I could pull this off.”
My mouth half full, I paused to reassure her, “Toni—you could pull anything off.”
“Thank you for that, and I’m happy to try with you as my guinea pig. But I would need to be graded on a curve because Asian cuisine is out of my wheelhouse.”
“Let me know when and where to sign up for this cooking experiment of yours.” Our bubble tea arrived, and the mildly sweet concoction was as good as I remembered it. The tapioca boba gave it an extra burst of flavor that elevated the taste experience.
“So, speaking of pulling it off, what are your thoughts on the speech I sent you? I assume you read it by now.”
“I did, and I reread it again this morning. There were some words I didn’t know and so I had to run the document through Google translate. The interpretation can sometimes be off, but I got the gist of what you were trying to get across. I liked how you broke it up into three segments—a secret, a story, and a lesson—very memorable. It’s perfect,” I stated looking up at her and catching her gaze.
“Except . . . ” Toni remarked sensing that I was holding something back.
I smiled, forgetting momentarily how well she knew me. “Except you thanked everyone in every possible way and took zero credit for the achievement, which is the whole reason why the event is being held. It’s to honor you,” I concluded pointing my chopsticks at her. “I found it interesting that you talked about all the fortuitous circumstances and people you met along the way that brought you to this time and place, but didn’t mention any of the sacrifices—and there are more than I can probably count—you made in that journey.”
“You said ‘interesting,’ but what I think you meant was perplexed,” Toni remarked.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I guess it’s a tricky thing to balance but this is the occasion when I think you should be giving yourself more credit. Instead, I felt that you’re at the other extreme—not giving yourself any.”
“The event held in my honor is credit enough. But my approach is sincere: I benefited from the confluence of factors that were not of my doing, and so these people and things must be acknowledged because of the pivotal difference they made.”
“But,” I interjected. “You did a great deal of it on your own after starting from nothing.”
“Okay—so what? Some people had it better than me. A lot more had it worse. I’m proud but I don’t have the hubris to pretend that a great many things and people did not come together for me to have the opportunity where my hard work, time, and commitment could give me a chance to succeed. That’s also an equally important part of the equation. But for the sacrifices of my ancestors, who faced harsher conditions than me, all my efforts would not have amounted to much.”
“I understand. So, what do you say to the self-made man, who claims to have done it entirely on his own?” I asked.
“To him? I wouldn’t be presumptuous to say anything. But to you, I would say—and only because you’re asking—is that the smartest person in the room doesn’t have an oversized ego. If they do, then they really aren’t as smart as they think they are despite the wealth and prestige they’ve attained.”
“They should be grounded and aware—like you,” I concluded.
“I’m grounded and aware because you characterize me that way. Others may disagree. But to be clear, I’m not qualifying anyone’s success or making excuses for anyone who fails. Wherever you find yourself, you must do what you can with whatever is at your disposal. That means having the courage and presence of mind to seize an opportunity and making the most of it. It means choosing to act to create opportunities. When the time comes, don’t hesitate, because you never know when such an occasion will come again, if ever. Are others born with greater opportunities? Have some hit the genetic lottery for intelligence and natural skill level? Sure. But again, so what? That doesn’t guarantee success either.”
“Makes it easier for them though?” I countered.
“Maybe. But like I said, others have it harder than you. Depends on whose perspective we’re taking. When I think about the circumstances that brought me to the place where I am now, I can freely admit that some of it was under my control but some of it was completely outside my charge. All this is to say that if I have had any success, it has never been entirely my own. And in truth, I dare say that no achievement is ever the accomplishment of just one person.”
“Despite what they may think or say,” I added.
“Correct—saying it out loud even if they believe it to be true doesn’t make it so. It just informs me that they haven’t done the math right.”
***
Toni overcame incredible odds and accomplished extraordinary success as an immigrant woman having come from an impoverished village where its inhabitants lived in homes with dirt floors and no indoor plumbing. It was these experiences, among others, as a child and young woman that made her well-grounded, knowing that a diligent work ethic and prudent choices would eventually yield opportunity. By the same token, she also recognized that luck always played a part in a person’s story. This is not to say that such a thing should be used as an excuse for inaction. She understood that individuals who committed the necessary time and effort were also the same people who experienced a greater amount of luck.
In his book Lucky or Smart? Bo Peabody argued that the most successful people are those smart enough to know that luck was a key aspect to their fortune. Sociologists regard “social location” as a critical type of luck. There are two significant aspects to the life course—one relates to specific stage because of how each phase affects behavior and orientation, and the other is linked to the historical period of the society one finds themselves in together with their social location within that group. In short, a different time and place or a change in status in that civilization results in a profound difference in experience. Social location, therefore, delineates the relative impact that identity and position have on individuals’ experiences and relationships in the world. These life features influence individual actions and perceptions and affect access to resources and the underlying forces of power structures and networks. The “who,” “where,” and “when” that define social location are inextricably linked to a myriad of potential impediments and benefits—all of which are not in anyone’s control and yet are instrumental to success. Having said that, while socialization is powerful and is limited by social location, individuals can still change the “self” (difficult as it is) and make choices that enable them to transcend circumstances.
The letter “X” is sometimes used to represent an unknown value or quantity (as in algebraic equations) or symbolize an unidentifiable entity or thing (as in the origin of X-ray or the surname of Malcolm X). It signifies “things” unknown either in the temporary or permanent form. Social location is of the latter kind, and while its impact on the formula for achieving success is seldom considered that does not make it any less significant than force or distance. The recognition of these factors need not be mutually exclusive. In other words, one can acknowledge the support she received and “parts” unknown without diminishing the value of her extraordinary, individual effort (blood, sweat, and tears).
Success is not nearly as straightforward as some would prefer to think of it. Aside from the very important social location, the calculation includes several other unknowns. And this is true even if one is simply unaware, purposely ignores, or otherwise discounts the weight or existence of such a thing. Consider, for instance, the odds of becoming a human being; that being, for one’s parents to meet and have offspring resulting in any specific individual (namely you) is estimated to be 400 trillion to one. The chance of hitting the mega jackpot several times over is vastly better than ever being born. Some might consider such a thing “luck.” When accounting for the gene pool, timing, work, social placement, position of the moon, etc., I imagine that the calculation for success (or movement) might be expressed like this: 3(x) DNA + 2(x) Time + 1(x) Effort + X(x) or some variation of this equation. If there was ever a formula that was not calculable, it might be this one, making the unknown perhaps the most important of variables.
And those are just some of my musings on management.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Giuseppe M. Fazari has been musing about management concepts and practices throughout his career as an administrator, consultant, and academic. Contact him at fazarigm@icloud.com.
