ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what can be seen as the foundations of long-lasting professional success. One particular personality trait which is linked to sustainable success in life is impulse control, also referred to as the tolerance for delayed gratification. Back in the late 1960s, Austrian-born personality psychologist Walter Mischel started his behavioural experiments at Stanford University. The chapter examines a link between intelligence, as commonly measured by intelligent quotient (IQ) tests, and long-lasting career success. The IQ is measured in standardised tests like the Stanford-Binet test. Generally, people do not easily accept luck as a reason for their success as it hurts their ego and self-determination. In competitive world, nobody wants to see luck behind their success. In reality, luck or the right opportunity at the right time in fact plays a very important role, even if you work hard.
