John Hersey Leadership Blog

Most of us have important goals that we hope to accomplish.  Our intentions are good and our plans are often well thought out and well focused.  We move ahead quickly towards accomplishing what we set out to do, but then all to soon we falter, stop and maybe even give up.  Why?  Because our instant efforts have not produced instant results.  We get too tied up in finding that instant gratification that equates to success.  But rarely will we ever see results as soon as we would like.  So how do we keep moving forward while waiting to see results?  How do we learn to wait patiently for some sign of success?  How do we stay motivated to continue when human nature says that such a slow return on our investment must be a sure sign that our plans and goals are flawed?  The answer is really quite simple.  We need to better understand how the whole process works; in other words, we have to learn to accept how the principles of effort and return really work.

If we were to look at a graph depicting the rate of effort compared to return, we would see that the line for effort is much steeper than the line for return.  In any project we undertake, all of the work and effort goes in at the beginning.  Typically, we will see about 80% of our efforts expended about halfway through a project, yet only about 20% of the return on our investment will be evident.

The main reason behind this pattern is the need for a project to gather momentum.  As you invest more time and effort, the results begin to build, slowly at first but increasing as the project moves along. It is at this point that we really need to practice patience.  In order to see a project through to its completion, and actually see the return on our investment, we have to develop an “investment attitude.”  By developing this type of awareness and understanding, we can better prepare ourselves for the necessary efforts we have to put forth.

All successful people, especially leaders, need to remember that the most important investment you will ultimately make is in yourself. Give every project your best effort and be patient.  Don’t expect results right away, either from your projects or your people.  Remain confident that your ideas are sound, and your goals attainable.  Know in your mind that the results you are seeking will come.

Regardless of how things may sometimes appear, there is never such a thing as “all of a sudden.”  Successes, and even failures, generally happen over longer periods of time than we realize. Change often begins to happen before its effects can actually be seen.  The important thing is to stay focused on your goals.  Keep working at them and keep putting in the effort.  Concentrate on putting in the required work each and every day, knowing that eventually the big results you are aiming for will happen.

John Hersey is a successful business owner, published author and motivational leadership speaker. John writes one of the most recognized leadership blogs in the business world: http://www.JohnHersey.com/blog

Failure is often the result of little persistence.  Strong health, permanent happiness, substantial wealth, effective teamwork, or wild success, are not easy goals to achieve, even when you avidly devour hundreds of books on these topics.  The majority of sudden success stories have years of history of trials and errors behind them, and almost all natural talent has long hours of disciplined work supporting it, in fact, this is why it looks so natural.

The secret to success is to learn its systems, habits, and principles, the ones that are acquired through discipline and endless persistence.  As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes the master’.

It is a common mistake to think that successful people were born brain privileged.  The conclusion that many arrive to is that they were born from parents with superior genes, thus they were born with great talent, high intelligence, and natural gifts.  However, we know there are people who are extremely talented, almost geniuses, but never developed their capabilities or made something worthy with them; you may even know some individuals like this yourself.  Some people simply give up at the doors of success, and they repeat the same story over and over again only to get discouraged every time they are about to reach their dreams.

Several studies have shown that Nobel Prize winners have an average intelligence, as well as superior levels of tenacity and persistence.  These leaders hang in there while their colleagues move on to pursue more promising research routes.  They are live proof of this unequivocal truth: No one is a loser until he quits trying.

It is not easy to stick to your beliefs and efforts in the face of a long and bumpy journey; the secret is to break your big task into smaller and manageable ones, helping you stay focused and active until you reach a new milestone.

It is like Thomas Edison said after his factory and all his life work were eaten by fire on December 1914, “There is great value in disaster.  All our mistakes are burned up.  Thank God we can start anew.”  Less than a month later, Edison presented the first phonograph.

So, no, don’t take this article’s title literally, don’t pray for disaster in your life; this would just be a sign of ungratefulness. The goal was to grab your attention intensely to be able to communicate such an important message, however, consciously and regularly ask for opportunities to test your faith in yourself and in your persistence, because this is when you will really discover what you are capable of, it will make you grow, it will make you a leader, and a part of history.

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