Jun

8

Perseverance: The characteristic that separates the successful from the mediocre

Filed Under Leadership Practices 

More and more I am realising the importance of perseverance to effective leadership. There are so many different obstacles and barriers to attaining our vision and purpose in the world today that without perseverance we will fail to make a meaningful difference in the world. Perseverance is what’s requires to face failure and then to get up again to fight another day. Douglas MacMillan in his article “Why Failures Can Be Such Success Stories” finds that…

“To err is human. But to persevere is a feat that often separates the successful from the mediocre…. In business—as in sports, politics, and the arts—many of the greatest and most influential leaders share a history of failure. Automaker Henry Ford and animator Walt Disney both stumbled badly with early business ventures. Early in his career with General Electric (GE), Jack Welch caused an explosion that blew the roof off a building. Not long after taking Apple Computer (AAPL) public, founder Steve Jobs was ousted by the very man he recruited to lead the company.

Psychologists say it’s not simply the fact that these people learned from mistakes that led to eventual success. It’s also the resilience they displayed in getting past those potholes. Failure can be "informative rather than demoralizing. It tells you what you may need to do to make it," says Albert Bandura, the Stanford psychology professor who in the 1970s pioneered the social cognitive theory of self-efficacy—an inner belief in one’s ability to succeed.”

As you’re faced with the weeks and months ahead make a decision to persevere, to never give up on your vision, to never settle for second best, make the decision to press forwards, to  be determined to overcome and archive your purposes. Make a decision to believe in yourself, to believe that you can do what you set your mind to, that despite setback, you will get back up and continue. It’s that fact that you fail, which makes you a failure. It’s when you stay down, it’s when you decide not to get up to try again…… that’s what makes you a failure!

It’s settled then…..

Quitting is not an option!

 

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One Response to “Perseverance: The characteristic that separates the successful from the mediocre”

  1. Dan McCarthy on June 15th, 2008 15:26

    George –

    I’ve found that perseverance and resiliency seem to be two of the most important characteristics that differentiate the most successful leaders I’ve worked with. When I interview them, they seem to have a life long track record of examples of overcoming obstacles and achieving their goals. And they always learn and adapt along the way.

    BTW, I just discovered your blog from the HR World list. It’s great! I’m now a subscriber.

    I have a leadership development blog that also made the list, called Great Leadership. I’ve added you to my blogroll.

    I’ll also be hosting a new Leadership Development carnival if you’d like to contribute. See sidebar for more information and the submission form.

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