Translating the Theoretical Formula for Success
Today I came across an article on INC.com breaking down the formula for success defined by physicist Albert-László Barabási. The formula is overly complicated, but it can be translated into something normal people can understand and apply.
Albert-László Barabási’s formula for success is as follows:
S = Qr
Where S is success, Q is a person’s ability to execute, and r is the potential value of a random idea. In my opinion these variables are too abstract for practical application. So in my attempt to translate this formula for everyday people like you and me, I will swap out these variables.
Develop Strengths and Manage Weaknesses
Further down in the INC.com article the author breaks down their meaning of the Q a bit further. It states:
You either have it or you don’t. That means throwing your energies into a field where your ability just isn’t high enough is a recipe for misery
The context to the above quote is that their research shows that your ability to execute in any given area is innate, meaning you’re born with it. For me, this translates to the exact findings of Don Clifton and his work with the Gallup’s Strengths Finder.
I’m a big fan of the Clifton Strengths Finder. They are the clear cut experts on helping both adults and youth find their innate talent and turning those talents into strengths. The overall philosophy is to develop strengths and manage weaknesses. I believe this approach fits nicely into the Albert-László Barabási formula as a replacement for Q.
Replacing the Value of a Random Idea with Scale
When it comes to the r value in the formula, the focus is on how great a random idea is or is not. I believe this approach make the formula worthless. Many great ideas appear stupid to most people at first. Therefore, without hindsight there is no way to put a value on most random ideas rendering the value to a mere guess.
As a result, I am going to replace the concept of valuing a random idea with the concept of scale. Specifically, scale as defined by the relative size of impact. For example, small, medium, or large scale.
In the context of the formula:
- Small scale: impact at the family or team level = 1
- Medium scale: impact at the community or company level = 2
- Large scale: impact at the city or industry level and higher = 3
Final Translation of the Formula
In summary, my final translation of the Albert-László Barabási formula of S=Qr is as follows: