Persistence Wears Resistance
"Persistence wears out resistance, or at least that's what protesters say." - Tarik Minor
In the past two days I’ve read a book, watched a movie, and heard good news from friends that they finally got what they wanted – one got a new job…another locked in a date with a girl.
A common thread running through each of these was the value of persistence. It seems the power of persistence really does wear down resistance…
OneMoreStep Thought For the Week: Often times our own ideas, goals, aspirations, and desires don’t align with the current circumstance, people, or obstacles that stand in our way…but persistence, if practiced professionally and in the right way, really does wear down resistance.
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| RESISTANCE |
Seth Godin illustrates in his best selling book, Linchpin, that resistance is the cross section where Could Have, Should Have, & Would Have overlap. He says resistance comes from our “lizard brains”, the mentality of playing it safe so we don’t stir the pot…making excuses for not going forward with something…afraid what “they” will say or think…
Resistance comes in all shapes and sizes…any of these familiar?
· The boss that refuses to listen to our suggestions
· Those coworkers that continue to slack and refuse to be team players
· That #1 seed girl or guy that doesn’t seem to be nearly as interested in us as we are in them
· The client that fails to see the value in our sales pitch
· The judge that doesn’t see our side of the story
· The student that refuses to study or give his or her all in learning new material
· The people on our teams, as leaders, which insist, “they’re right…and we’re wrong.”
When met with resistance of any kind, whether it is one of the above scenarios or our very own “Lizard Brains”…we have two choices. We can quit and give up at the first sign of adversity (or resistance), OR we can be persistent.
Being persistent doesn’t necessarily mean being pushy. That gets us in trouble pretty quickly. Pleasant persistence, put to practice in professional, respectful ways is what creates value, fosters relationships, and results in that spark…that magical connection when everyone wins.
So when you’re met with resistance this week, this month, and for the rest of the year, remember that persistence wears resistance. If you feel passionate about the topic, the initiative, the opportunity, or the goal, even when it’s the unpopular direction…DON’T GIVE UP. It may be a StairMaster opportunity to meet them where they are, spend some time engaging in healthy conversation, and you just might walk back up the steps together.
As long as we strive to do the right thing, at the right times, for the right reasons, in the right ways…Persistence can be the OneMoreStep that ultimately makes the sale, convinces the boss, influences the stubborn coworker, and/or inspires our students or teams.
No matter what the resistance, whether it comes from our own hesitation or external factors outside of our control, we should...stay the course, play our game, remain steadfast, and persistently pursue the emotional, physical, and relational outcomes we desire.
No matter what the resistance, whether it comes from our own hesitation or external factors outside of our control, we should...stay the course, play our game, remain steadfast, and persistently pursue the emotional, physical, and relational outcomes we desire.
So Go OneMoreStep…be pleasantly PERSISTENT…
Two for the road…
I went to see Moneyball this weekend, a movie inspired by the Michael Lewis book originally published in 2003, staring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
The book and movie are based on the true story of how Oakland Athletics General Manager, Billy Beane, used a new, different analytical, “sabermetric” approach to assembling a competitive major league baseball team. Much to the surprise, dismay, and resistance of Billy’s staff of scouts, assistants, coaches, and manager, Billy stayed the course.
Billy was persistent in using stats and metrics such as on-base-percentage and slugging percentage as better indicators of offensive success than the common, mainstream stats such as stolen bases, runs-batted-in, and batting average. This strategy would allow them to be competitive, despite financial constraints with a limited payroll.
Billy’s strategy was met with so much resistance that he had to make bold moves, trading players who were making strong contributions but just didn’t quite fit the new system. He was forced to have many tough conversations with members of the media, the organization, and especially the team’s manager who refused to buy into the system.
Billy’s persistence paid off, as the 2002 Oakland Athletics won as many games as the mighty New York Yankees. The Oakland Athletics, at one time during that season, won 20 games in a row, a winning streak that broke a long standing Major League Baseball record. They did it with a $41 Million payroll…vs. the $125 Million payroll of the New York Yankees…and they achieved success with a strategy that was first met with resistance, but ultimately accepted in the end…
Persistence wore down resistance for Billy Beane…
Up, Down, or Sideways – a timely, inspirational book by Mark Sanborn
Mark Sanborn was kind enough to share his new book, Up, Down, or Sideways with me; the book went on sale over the weekend. As the OneMoreStepRevolution community knows, I love Mark Sanborn’s books, The Fred Factor, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader, and The Encore Effect.
His latest book is a comprehensive strategy which includes what he calls – 3 Mindsets and 6 Methods that, if practiced with persistence, allow us to be successful no matter if times are up, down, or sideways.
Mark gives us great illustrations, examples, and stories to back up the lessons and pearls of wisdom that will not only make us successful, but also allow us to develop key relationships, produce lasting value, and continually innovate for our organizations and ourselves. However, merely buying into the concepts and mindsets doesn’t quite get us there…it’s when we persistently practice the things we’ve learned along the way, parlayed with the tools that Mark offers in his book, that ultimately allows us to succeed when times are up, down, or sideways.
The book left me with a feeling of HOPE and INSPIRATION...and motivated to continue my journey for success and fulfillment, doing the right thing...with persistence...
“…persistence turns productive behavior into positive habits…” – Mark Sanborn, Up, Down, or Sideways
Have a great day.
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