How to Develop Unstoppable Tenacity
Leaders slip into insignificance for lack of tenacity. Everything meaningful requires tenacity. The more meaningful the objective the more tenacity required.
Willpower isn’t essential to tenacity, but, terror, hope, and joy are.
Terror drives tenacity.
Hope invites tenacity.
Joy fuels tenacity.
Terror
Tenacity is a function of fear. I’m often asked how I write every day. I’m tenacious because I’m terrified of stopping. Fears drive tenacity. I’m afraid of:
- Starting again. What if I stop and can’t get started again?
- Losing ground. If I stop, I’ll lose momentum.
- Missed opportunity. What if the post I don’t write is the one that was the most important one.
- Meaningless existence. The fear I won’t matter energizes tenacity like nothing else.
The fear that I’m not tenacious makes me tenacious. Leaders lose tenacity when they lose fear.
Hope
The anticipation that you might make a difference energizes tenacity. Hope is the belief that meaningful contribution is possible.
Hope enables leadership.
Hope can’t stop. It propels forward. But, without hope, tenacity is impossible.
Tenacity dies when hope dies.
All tenacious leaders have resolute conviction – hope – they can make things better.
Joy
The joyfully belief you contributed in the past, fuels tenacity to contribute in the future.
The servant’s joy is having been useful.
The components of servant-joy are meaningful contribution coupled with self-respect. Forget about false humility. If you aren’t making a difference you’re proud of, go home.
Arrogant leaders extract help. Humble leaders extend help.
Conclusion:
Losing tenacity is a matter of losing terror, hope, and joy.
Don’t try to be tenacious find your fear, anticipate your contribution, and have enough self-respect to enjoy being helpful.
What causes leaders to lose tenacity?
What energizes your tenacity?
Check out the great list of leadership T’s on the Leadership Freak Facebook Page. While you’re there, add leadership U’s for tomorrow’s post.
My wife once told me, “You just want to be part of the solution.” Every day I wake up looking for how I can be part of solving something. My tenacity is fueled by a satisfaction in seeing something I helped to create, whether that be a design, installation, or self-esteem for a colleague.
Thanks for the thoughts.
Love how you put this Anthony. “How can you be part of the solution.” Lets go fix something or at least make it better… cheers
AR that is a clearly defined WHY if I ever heard one!!!!!
How cool is Dat?
That Dudes tenacity don’t sputter, betcha!!!
First things first fuel, in the engine!!!!
Good Onya Mate!!!
SP
Dan,
Good thoughts, like very much how you bring terror and hope together to experience joy. Thank you for inspiring many to keep training, keep growing, stay intentional, ensure this is the correct path, strife for influence, and stay humble during the process. Have a great Sunday.
Well it is like this for me, Hope dies when I tenacitythgns First
Tenacity dies when MY WHY is not big enough and clearly defined and being acted upon.
My REASON for DOING always is first, same with you whether you figured it out or are willing to admit it to your innermost self.
Easiest way for even the simplest idiot to see this clearly is this:
Dude puts a gun to my head and says stand on your head and say out loud for 90 minutes, “I am doing everything in my consciousness but staying in the only place worth hanging out, NOW! I AM WRONG!”
Alrighty then, now EVERYONE can see, EVERYONE can see, that gun to my Head, MY WHY is the most significant fact in my life. That is MY REASON, seeing why that is first YET????? hehe
Why’s then if you will are our Why’s, not always that extreme but still in line with the way human consciousness works. Principles before personalities, means degrees might change but the principle, don’t.
Bottom line, if I don’t get with MY REASON, grey matter splattered and all bets are off. Or just messing around being silly trying to function with my stuff all backwards.
Seen in TRUE context, SEEING TRUTH, Why first, followed by how, what and anything else that is required to accomplish the task, is the choice of working with the way my brain functions or doing OTHER….not even sure what to try and call OTHER.
Just play with that for awhile and see if it makes sense ANY other way. It don’t, but you really would benefit, in my opinion if you did play with that in your mind and get it straightend out if you are getting with the program yet. Its cool, you live long enough and play around with that you will figure it out.
It will help you in your understanding of what order is most effective for human beings.
I Start with Why relentlessly and I am driven all day long. Before I situated MY REASON FOR DOING ANYTHING in the right order, at the START, my drive misfired all day long. I was a sputtering idiot! LOL
Fear is a projection of the ego. Only two topics with fear of the ego.
1. fear of not GETTING what my ego tells me I HAVE TO HAVE to survive.
2. fear of LOSING what my ego is telling me I must have to survive.
Now at the base is survive, up the tree of fear consciousness is happy. All the same thought string.
Deal with the base the whole string disappears.
Emmett Fox says, change your world, change your thoughts. Dude was right and this is true for ALL HUMAN beings in all circumstances, under all conditions. Change starts in the mind.
The only thing that really changes your world is the thoughts you use to describe what you think is happening around you.
DUH, As a Man Thinketh, so is he. TRUTH.
The Goal of every Spiritual Master I have ever studied is all the same, no matter the religion. Do not fear the future, regret the past.
Spirtiuality comes down to the choice of our conscious thought.
They ALL say if you choose to look for it and see it is where it is all at is NOW!
Tody I am going to spend ALL DAY RELENTLESSLY FOCUSING on doing NOTHING but staying in the moment.
That is the ONLY PLACE ANYTHING IS HAPPENING , so why choose to be anywhere else? All the rest is the ego telling me terrible things about the fear of the future and why I ought to regret the past.
Or great things from my past or great fantasies of my future, still tricking me out of NOW!
Just like my opinion man, based on my experience.
I Concur!
Time to get off the computer and back to where it is all unfolding
NOW!
Shifterp back to NOW!
Want help with this google his info called The Golden key, free to listen on Youtube. Yeah FREE, why would you charge to help out God’s other kids anyways?
Man this technology thingy!!!! Lol
My Hope dies when there is no tenacity.
First Things First!
SP
Great thoughts and things to ponder. Here recently, I have had one opportunity after another to be part of the solution. People need help and when they are placed in your path, it is for you more than for them. So, if more would simply help instead of say, I can’t, I am late, I have no money… etc. We all could be better humans being. My tenacity is fueled by a desire deep within to leave this place better than I found it. Cheers
Great stuff BS world is a better place with Dudes like you thinking GREAT stuff like DAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All about thinking cool stuff and helping God’s other kids!
THAT IS LEADERSHIP my friend!
Party On Wayne!
Horray GREAT THOUGHTS LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!
SP back to do more of the same.
Party on Garth!
Right!!
Dear Dan,
I agree that fear and hopes are two important component to drive tenacity. And I feel they should move together to drive tenacity. And both should be in proportion. Hope should always exceed fear because when fear exceeds hopes then we lose tenacity. I also think when fear start overpowering hope, that is the point where willpower comes into play. So, to overcome fear, one needs to have hope and will power both.
And leaders lose tenacity when they willingness to face challenges start declining. There are circumstances when belief is not enough to create hope. There is environment challenging belief and hope, that time leaders lose tenacity.
I think, leaders should take time into consideration while developing tenacity. Time is very crucial factor. There are times when our hopes, capability and will powers are not enough to face challenges. So, leaders know the time to develop tenacity keeping many factors into account. Tenacity is continuous process and it takes time to develop.
Come on Ajay, time is an illusion of the ego.
So to God is the 11:12 est time or is she on central or pacific time?
Only time, right here, right now.
Hope for more east wisdom from you rather than western sounding knowledge.
Just ahoping.
SP back to NOW……You?
Unrelenting pursuit of excellence to serve others’ needs to make them better. Unrelenting pursuit of personal excellence with lifelong learning.
A great shakeup from my late boss 10 years ago who told me to raise my tenacity a few notches to fulfil my potential!
How inspiring was that Albert!
Thank you from me and all the people you have helped in your unrelenting pursuit of BETTER!!!!!!!
You are a ROCKSTAR!!!
Now why? Maybe cause that idiot u used to work for tried LAME ideas and techniques that did not inspire you but made you feel icky? Made that WHY huge didn’t it?
Know it sounds crazy but you owe that idiot a sincere thank you for so clearly showing u what NOT to do!!!!
Horray finding out what not to do!!!!!
Made your WHY a way to serve others better and more effectively than that dummy who used to be your boss?
Just because people have titles does not make them Leaders!
The poor results and way that signaling treated you made your WHY big enough to find a better way to serve the folks!!!
So turned out ok!! Everyone benefits now cause YOU chose to LEAD!
People lucky to work for u in ur unrelenting pursuit of BETTER.
Big Props to you kind sir!
If you have not seen how they do it at Barry Wehmiller hope you check out their website! Know you will find great stuff there you can add to your toolbox!!
Just imagine how effective you might be if you went to Barry Wehmiller University!!!!
Anyway, today you INSPIRED me and wanted you to know how deeply I appreciate it! World is a better place cause of you!
I like you, are Committed to changing the world inspiring one mind at a time.
Thanks again,
The Dude Abides
Shifterp back to NOW!
Hi Dan,
I am tagged with the descriptor ‘tenacious’ often. I take it as a compliment, as I have a strong desire to increase productivity, implement change, keep clients, and help others to succeed. My fear would be failure. (It’s a powerful fuel…)
Our CEO tells me that tenacity can be a strength and a weakness.
Thoughts?
Thanks Sandy.
I fear failure also. I’m not convinced it’s the best thing to fear but when I get real honest I feel it.
Fear of failure is a weakness when we don’t try because we fear we’ll fail.
Tenacity can be negative because we steam-roll others.
What are you thoughts?
Yep, there it is. Steam rolling.
Being tenacious can be a fine line for a leader to walk. I often remind myself that others might not be as driven about a particular item, task, process, etc. as I am… That is not a bad thing. Just occasionally frustrating. 🙂 That’s where the real leadership skills come into play….
Dan, been following you a couple of months. Thank you for your tenacious obedience! Well put.
yet another good one 🙂 * * * * *Robert Schultze* Director of Environmental Services Ephrata Manor 99 Bethany Road Ephrata, Pa 17522 717-738-4940 rschultze@ucc-homes.org
Life is a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge, the quality that gives a touch of divinity to matter. Charles Lindbergh
Being a new grandparent, if there’s one characteristic I’ve come to believe we are all born with, it’s tenacity — or persistence. There is nothing more tenacious that a baby making her first attempts to get that toy that’s just out of arm’s reach; or that toddler who is certain he has to THAT one rock that you don’t want him to have.
What happens to our tenacity as we grow older?
Some professions — like sales — demand a high degree of persistence; and, then again, some corporate cultures penalize people who are too persistent. Maybe it’s a matter of learning to know how much tenacity to apply in each situation.
My father had amazing drive and determination or tenacity, that’s how he became a successful entrepreneur and even entrepreneur of the year. My dream is to follow his footsteps, unfortunately I don’t think tenacity is genetic, it’s my biggest struggle
Nice way of saying,’ don’t let go until it’s so,’ smile.
Don’t make excuses for failure, just find a way for success