Persistence

If I were to ask you to define the word persistence – what would your answer be?

If I were to guess, I’m pretty sure that your answer would probably be something along the lines of “not giving up”, which is a very good answer and an accurate one as well. But, I would like to challenge you to think about persistence in just a little different way using a slightly different lens.

Persistence is as much about patience as it is about not giving up. As a leader, you are confronted with issues and problems on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, with the expectation (by those presenting the problem) that you will have an immediate answer and/or the “perfect solution.” However, as many of us already know, the immediate solution may not always be the best solution.

So, the next time that you’re confronted with a problem to solve, resist the urge to give an immediate response – unless it is a life or death event, which then by all means, give an immediate response! But, if it’s not a life or death event, take a moment or two to pause, reflect, think and process. I believe that you will find that patience is the right course to finding the best solution.