Winston Churchill uttered theses immortal words, “Never give up. Never. Never. Never” in 1941 as Britain faced down the threats of an overwhelming enemy during World War II. He gave his country a rallying cry and instilled them hope in the mist of very dire circumstances.
Perseverance is something human kind has always demonstrated and in times of uncertainty tapping into your reserve of perseverance can be difficult. But tap in to it you must. As a business leader or owner, it is your resolve and persistence that gives your team hope and motivates them to keep moving forward.
A more modern example of persistence came from the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs who said “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance,” Jobs said in a 1995 interview with Daniel Morrow at the Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation. (Inc.com, 2020) At one of his lowest points personally, Jobs understood the power of perseverance. A phoenix from the ashes, Jobs has inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to not only pursue their dreams with vigour, but to stick with it even in the face of mounting challenges.
As small business struggling with the current economic and health crisis, reminding yourself to “screw your courage to the sticking place”, to quote William Shakespeare. It is more important than ever. Through strong leadership you can see opportunities and outlast the onslaught. There are hundreds of examples of business entrepreneurs who had to deal with insurmountable odds. Here are a few… You may have heard of a them…
Milton Hershey
J.K. Rowlings
Thomas Edison
Walt Disney
Albert Einstein
Michael Jordan
Henry Ford
Lucille Ball
Each of these visionaries faced failure, rejection, bankruptcy, and a collection of other forces that made their eventual success even more surprising. Individuals are then only persistent ones. Whole organizations and demonstrate great resolve to ultimately succeed. NASA experienced 20 failures in its 28 attempts to send rockets to space.
As a business leader remember that where there is a will and a desire to succeed you can find a way.
Here are some things to remember…
- Find a Purpose
“Purpose can encourage us and give us the motivation to be persistent even when running a business gets hard.”
- Celebrate every success no matter how small
“taking time out to acknowledge the positive strides your team makes can help you persist when things look bleak.” - Harness the momentum of the GREAT DAYS
“Write a letter to your future self, and indulge in the pleasure of detailing how great you feel, and how confident you are about your abilities and the abilities of your team.” Open it and read it when times are tough. - Surround yourself with other who persist
“You’re a reflection of the company you keep, so choose your peers wisely.”
- Keep your legacy in mind
“Do you want to be remembered as the entrepreneur who wouldn’t quit? The person who had a vision and a purpose and who poured his or her heart and soul into making that vision happen? For me, asking these questions is a simple way of focusing on what truly matters. “
“The best way out is always through,” said Robert Frost, Pulitzer Prize winning author. Make sure you stay focused on the long-term goal. Don’t allow the noise of bad news to drown out the glimmers of opportunities that exists. Step back and deal with what you can change and don’t spend a bunch of time trying to fix what is out of your control.
In a digital age, business has unlimited possibilities and perseverance is the only way to leverage and benefit from them. Business leaders and entrepreneurs need to make sure they have a solid vision for their company no matter what the size. Your confidence will help you stay on track and if you need boost, find professionals to help you get your mindset adjusted. As a business owner, adapting and adjusting are skills you have flexed before. Now is the time to bring those skills to life and teach them to your team.
As a skilled business leader, you also have to be habitual and disciplined. Jim Rohn said, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Set up routines and practice positive ways of staying on track. Mediation, exercise and other mind over matter activities can help.
Keep in mind that this is an ultimate a grand learning opportunity. Today’s economic roller coaster and health crisis are learning bonanza. Dig deep to find the nugget of knowledge to make you and your organization stronger, leaner, flexible and resistant. Find resources available and utilize them to maintain momentum. Committing to life long learning is critical now.
Resolve to commit. Never, never, never, give up.
