Strategy #49: Commit yourself for the long haul

The 3 Ps of Perseverance (Core Action Value #3) are Purpose, Passion, and Patience. When your people share your big dream, and know that you are in it for the long haul, they are most likely to stay with you, even through the tough times that are part and parcel of pursuing any worthwhile goal. When John Wooden joined UCLA as head basketball coach in 1948, the school did not even have a proper basketball facility.  It would be sixteen years – all if them housed in what was known as “the B.O. Barn” – before Wooden’s UCLA team won the first of ten national titles between 1964 and 1975, an accomplishment that may well never be equaled.

What would have happened if the UCLA administration had given up on Wooden, or if he had given up on himself, in 1963? After all, isn’t fifteen years enough time to see whether a coach has it in him to take a team all the way to the top? In his book Wooden (with Steve Jamison) Coach Wooden said that character is more important to sustained success than athletic ability or coaching talent: “Character creates longevity…  When you read about an athlete or team that wins over and over and over, remind yourself, ‘More than ability, they have character.’” 
And what builds character? Adversity and time. When you decide to go after something, make it a total commitment. Work through every setback and adversity. Love what you do and do it with love. Then, be in it for the long haul. Your example will have a profound influence on your co-workers.

“A person’s who’s trying to achieve the pleasure of success without ever experiencing the pain of rejection will never succeed long-term.  In fact, this person will sabotage himself before he ever truly succeeds on a major scale.”

Anthony Robbins: Awaken the Giant Within

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