Business Leadership Coaching Course

Chapter 14
THE REWARDS OF PERSISTENCE

Business leadership coaching Rule #1 dictates that a successful leader will fail many times, but never gives up. His persistence and resolute spirit keeps him pushing onward until his goal is finally achieved.  

grit and persistence

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There is something inspiring about a person who fails after doing his best, and then gets up, dusts himself off and re-enters the game a second and third time with undaunted courage and re-doubled energy.

A famous General once said, “I thought I was going to fail, but I kept on going. It is this keeping focused on the goal and being steadfast in your aim that wins the battles of war and in life.”

Experts in the business leadership coaching arena encourage leaders to meet hard times with a firm resolve; one that is more determined that those who hold the opposite opinion. If your goal is right and your intentions are good, it's only a matter of time before you'll hit the target you're aiming for.

Difficult circumstances are no excuse for not pursuing your purpose. The trophy of fame and fortune has been won by many from poor upbringings with zero support from family or friends, no financial backing, or anything other than pure grit and determination.

"An invincible purpose can move most obstacles."

Barriers have not yet been erected that can successfully shut out aspiring and tenacious talent. As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, “Diligence is the mother of good luck.”

Those who have failed in life usually believe in luck, fate, or destiny. They will cite numerous examples of men who have “got lucky,” or who were simply “born lucky.”

For all practical purposes there is no real luck to anyone who is not already striving to achieve something. If you haven’t already begun spinning into motion the wheels of success, and you have no solid plans in place to achieve your goals, then you will certainly not receive the luxury of experiencing success.

What some may call accidental discoveries, often turn out to be made by those clear-headed persons who are vigorously looking for something, planning to make that something happen, and taking the actions necessary to make their vision a reality.

Addison, a famous business leadership coaching expert in his own right, offered his secrets of what he referred to as good luck and bad luck. He explained bad luck as belonging to those countless men who are determined to believe that the world stands against them at every street corner.

On the other hand, Addison said he “never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, who was mindful of his earnings and strictly honest, whoever complained of suffering from a case of bad luck.”

Strong men and women believe in the theory of cause and effect. They believe that things happen by law, not by luck.

"When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you, till it seems as if you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up for that’s just the place and time that the tide will turn."
- Harrie Beecher Stowe

William Sheerer said in his book, The Wisdom of the World, in Proverbs of All Nations, “Lucky men are as rare as  white crows.” Isn’t it true that the same person, who is waiting for his luck to turn, is also waiting for something, anything, to turn up? Too often we hear failed men and women saying they are "waiting for their ship to come in."

These people would be much better off turning their attention to working hard to plan for their future success. Hard work, paired with a resolute will is the best formula for making something happen, and as most business leadership coaching experts will agree, once the wheels of success start turning and you begin building momentum, you won't want to ever turn back.

The person betting on "Luck", lies in bed and wishes for an inheritance or a lottery to raise him from the ashes of despair and poverty. But the one who counts on "Labor" as the success strategy, gets up early; plans the day to accomplish the most; and with a busy pen and by taking consistent physical action, lays the firm foundation of a successful future.

So whatever it is that you dream of doing in your life; whomever it is that you aspire to be; whatever it is that you hope to accomplish – know this one thing – it has no chance of happening until one glorious day you decide that you are fed up, through with, had enough of, the status quo.

Decide today that you have finally become disturbed, exhausted, and mad as hell - to the point of firmly exclaiming, “NO MORE!” Apply yourself with energy and enthusiasm and then watch how quickly your "luck" will begin to improve.

"I find nothing so singular in life as this, that everything opposing appears to lose its substance the moment one actually grapples with it."

- Hawthorne

Business Leadership Coaching Activities

Complete the following exercises...

  1. Describe a time when you demonstrated firm persistence in order to stick to something you truly believed in. Describe another time when you went along with something even though it went against your better judgment or was something you were not excited about. Describe the struggle in each decision.



  2. Explain the lasting outcome of each of the above scenarios. Are you satisfied with both outcomes or do you believe in retrospect that your decisions were made more out of stubbornness, haste, or fear, rather than based on passion or principle?



  3. After reading the above business leadership coaching advice on the subject of grit and persistence, how would you rate yourself in this area? If this is an area for improvement, write down what you are going to do differently to ensure you remain focused on the things in your life that matter and that you want to achieve.



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