By Cheryl Powers

Most founders say they want to get lucky.

They want the right buyer to appear, the right leader to join, the right customer to expand, the right market window to open, the right offer to arrive before energy, timing, or health changes the options available to them.

That kind of luck does exist. But it is not the kind most owners should be waiting for.

The more useful kind of luck is built before the opportunity arrives. It's built in the years when no one is watching, when t...