Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 34 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Tenacity: 3 essential characteristics to keep going
— From Success 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
“Tenacity,” says John C. Maxwell, “is crucial to success.” He mentions that even people lacking talent and failing to have or cultivate other qualities of a team player are able to help the team succeed if they have a tenacious spirit.
But what does being tenacious mean?
According to the author, there are three essential characteristics that constitute tenacity and that help us keep going:
1. Giving all that you have, not more than you have. Some people lack tenacity because they think their project will require a superhuman effort to get done and they don’t believe they have what it takes to make it happen. Maxwell states, “Being tenacious requires that you give 100 percent—not more, but certainly not less. If you give your all, you afford yourself every opportunity possible for success.”
2. Working with determination, not waiting on destiny. “Tenacious people don’t rely on luck, fate, or destiny for their success. And when conditions become difficult, they keep working. They know that trying times are no time to quit trying. And that’s what makes the difference. For the thousands of people who give up, there is always someone like Thomas Edison, who remarked, ‘I start where the last man left off.’ ”
3. Quitting when the job is done, not when you’re tired. Maxwell cites the American actor Robert Strauss, who stated that “success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired—you quit when the gorilla is tired.” The author says that it’s not the first, but the last step that makes the difference, as that is where the race is won. “If you want your team to succeed, you have to keep pushing beyond what you think you can do and find out what you’re really capable of.”
So, how tenacious are you?
As food for thought, I’ll leave you with this quote from Napoleon Hill:
“Every successful person finds that great success lies just beyond the point when they’re convinced their idea is not going to work.”
ACTION
TODAY: Take a moment to think of an area in your life where you could succeed with more tenacity. What is that area? Which of the three above characteristics have you not applied there? Say, have you not given it your all and quit because you got tired, before the job was done? Simply take away a lesson from that and start again. Armed with that lesson and the determination to get it done, you will find the tenacity to get to that last step you need to win the race and achieve your goal.
FUTURE: When you’re stuck or about to quit, think about these three characteristics of tenacity. Why did you decide to start in the first place? Go back to that mental place and you’ll find the motivation and determination to continue giving it your all and not quit until the job is done.
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