How luck and timing influence success

James Surowiecki has a great article in the New Yorker entitled The Fatal Flaw Myth that pierces the received wisdom of the airline manufacturing industry.

I like the article because it acts also as a cautionary tale. Sometimes the patterns we think we see are only short-term happenings. Sometimes the real causes of events and fortunes only become apparent in the longer term. Most importantly, we must resist jumping to conclusions based on hearing a story that reinforces and fits our world view.

Recommended reading for anyone thinking strategically and critically about our world.