The Right Kind of Stubborn

Here’s a short checklist worth keeping in mind when it comes to persevering, to doing it “your way” at all costs: 1. A leader must never quit. 2. A leader must know when to quit. 3. Proving that you are right or proving that someone is wrong are bad reasons for persisting. 4. Good logic, sound principles, and strong belief are the purest and most p

When you set your mind to a task, do you always follow through? It’s an impressive feat if you do. But don’t let yourself become a prisoner of that kind of determination. That asset might become a liability someday.

The critical attribute here is autonomy, the willingness to reflect on different opinions, rather than to just reflexively dismiss them. Stubbornness is often cherished in the entrepreneurial community. But the reality is that to be truly self-determined you need not be stubborn. What you need to be is autonomous.

Here’s what most people get wrong about persistence. Persistence doesn’t mean repeatedly doing what’s failing. Remember the old adage about the futility of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? The goal isn’t to fail fast. It’s to learn fast. We should be celebrating the lessons from failure—not failure itself.

Persistence should be a feature, not a suicide pact. When you are fighting your way through the jungle, take out your compass regularly and make sure you are headed in the right direction.