My coach and mentor, John C. Maxwell believes that “Talent is never enough.” And, after 30+ years of being a business owner working with people every day, I agree with John. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that talent does play a role in success. However, most of the business owners I’ve known over the years didn’t have a college degree. In fact, many of my entrepreneurial friends got really bad grades in school, barely graduating!
There is one thing that makes a person stand out when it comes to whether or not they will be successful and that is PERSEVERANCE.
“Talent provides hope for accomplishment, but perseverance guarantees it.”
In his book Beyond Talent: Become Someone Who Gets Extraordinary Results, Maxwell writes, “Perseverance begins with the right attitude – an attitude of tenacity. But the desire to persevere alone isn’t enough to keep most people going when they are tired or discouraged. Perseverance is a trait that can be cultivated. And the initial step to developing it is to eliminate its five greatest enemies.”
Perseverance requires determination. When you take the time and effort to work with and train the people on your team who are determined, you will achieve greater results. What I’ve experienced in many of the businesses I’ve worked with is that they either want a quick fix OR they focus too much on talent during the hiring and promotion process.
According to John in his book, Beyond Talent, we must eliminate the five greatest enemies of perseverance. He shares the following advice in the book:
- A lifestyle of giving up
“Talent without perseverance never comes to full fruition. Opportunities without persistence will be lost. There is a direct correlation between perseverance and potential. If you have a habit of giving up, you need to overcome it to be successful.” - A wrong belief that life should be easy
“Having the right expectations going into anything is half the battle.” - A wrong belief that success is a destination
“If you think you have arrived, then you’re in trouble. As soon as you think you no longer need to work to make progress, you’ll begin to lose ground.” - A lack of resiliency
“We must not become dry, brittle, and inflexible. And we must endeavor to bounce back, no matter how we may feel.” - A lack of vision
“People who display perseverance keep a larger vision in mind as they toil away at their craft or profession. They see in their mind’s eye what they want to create or to do, and they keep working toward it as they labor.”
Which one (or more) of these 5 perseverance enemies are you fighting? Don’t feel bad, we all fight at least one! Take a few minutes and write down how you’re going to take one step towards eliminating your enemy. How has your enemy stopped you from reaching greater success?
I would love to help your team eliminate perseverance enemies. I offer group coaching options like taking a deep dive into Beyond Talent, and many other John C. Maxwell books, with your team. Give me a call or send me an email for more information.
Cheers to defeating your perseverance enemies,
Emily Lindus