The Unadvertised Version of Leadership: Perseverance

Leadership in 180 Seconds: Lessons I have learnt as a leader that few talk about

Perseverance isn’t glamorous—but it’s the trait that keeps leaders standing when others quit. From small-scale failures to high-stakes setbacks, discover how to separate emotion from action, learn from mistakes, and keep moving forward. Build the resilience that turns leadership challenges into lasting influence.

Reflection Question
When was the last time you wanted to quit—and what helped you push through instead?

• Transcript

  Have you ever been tempted to throw in the towel after a big leadership setback?
  It’s a question worth asking—because perseverance is one of the least glamorous, most emotionally demanding leadership skills you’ll ever need.

  A few years ago, I was at my brother’s place and came across his kids’ building set—tunnel pieces and balls you could send racing through a track. It was easy enough to build something small, but I decided to build a track taller than me. It was a comedy of errors. I’d test it—something would break. I’d fix that—something else would fail. Over and over, the process became: fail, review, adjust, test. There was no pressure, so it stayed fun.

  But in leadership, failure doesn’t usually feel fun. We take it personally. We start believing we are the problem. That mindset is a fast track to quitting.

  History, however, is packed with examples proving failure is simply part of the growth cycle. Take Steve Jobs: in 1985, he was ousted from Apple—his own company—because his perfectionism was costing too much and delivering too little. Twelve years later, Apple was on the brink of collapse, and who came back to turn it around? Steve Jobs. In his years away, he’d learned hard lessons that shaped his leadership, resulting in products that were simpler, more focused, and wildly successful.

  None of that would have happened if he hadn’t persevered.

  Perseverance is rarely comfortable. It’s standing in the middle of frustration, anxiety, and doubt—separating yourself from the emotional storm—and deciding to try again. It’s reviewing what went wrong, making adjustments, and pushing forward… even if you’ve already done it ten times.

  The hardest part isn’t the fixing—it’s finding the mental and emotional energy to keep going when everything inside you screams at you to stop. That’s why every leader needs two things in place before failure hits:

  1. Support – Mentors, peers, or trusted friends who can encourage you, give perspective, and remind you of your capability.

  2. Perspective – An active decision to see failure as feedback, not finality.

  This week, take a moment to check your support network. Do you have the people around you who will help you keep going when things get tough?

  Perseverance may not be flashy, but it’s the difference between leaders who fade out—and those who make a lasting impact.