What Trait Sets the Best Apart from the Rest?

Some version of “What would make me more valuable?” is often asked by people being interviewed. I’m a hiring manager for engineers, and the answer I used to give was: “a strong understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals”. Over the years, my answer has shifted to simply: “persistence”. The best engineers at our company have both, but if I could only pick one, it would be persistence. It’s not that engineering fundamentals aren’t important anymore, but if you are persistent, you will acquire the necessary engineering principles.

Simple in Theory, but Hard in Practice

The idea of “just keep going” is straightforward. If you never give up, it’s hard to lose. This can take the form of “don’t take no for an answer” as a salesman or running through multiple iterations of your design as an engineer. Implementing this in practice is really hard. Walking back to a prospective client after they have said “no” is awkward and uncomfortable. Watching your design fail multiple times is disheartening. I can attest personally to that last one.

Reframing Your Endeavor

Does persistence mean never giving up? Sort of. Going back to the sales example, you could come back every day for many years and still never make the sale. Does this mean that you failed? Yes, if your goal was to make that particular sale. What if you broadened your goal from that particular sale, to becoming a better salesperson? In this sense, you likely took something away from the experience that improved your salesmanship. The things you learned while trying to make that sale can help you on the next one. The persistence you demonstrated, may not lead to that particular sale, but in the long run, your persistence will pay off.

What if you decide you don’t want to be a salesperson anymore? Does this mean you are a failure? Again, if your goal was to be a better salesperson then, yes, you are giving up on that. If you reframe the goal to be a better person, then it can still be a success. Your skills in working with other people and putting yourself in their shoes will carry over to your next profession and are universally applicable.

Being persistent can mean more than never giving up on a particular task. If the task isn’t critical or its importance to you changes, then giving up might be the best thing you could do.

How Do I Know When I Should Pivot?

This is tricky because if you pivot every time things get hard, you won’t end up doing anything. Letting go of a particular tactic or method quickly (1–2 tries) can make sense. It lets you iterate through other approaches. Letting go of something bigger, like a profession, is harder. One approach might be to commit in advance to a period where you will try something new. The time commitment it will take to be successful at something hard is likely to be years. If you realize this at the start, and can’t “do the time”, then move on to something else that you are more passionate about.

How Can I Stick With It?

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If a problem is particularly daunting, you can break it into more manageable pieces. Complete the first step and then move on to the next.

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.―Marcus Aurelius

You can always change your perspective on the situation. If you view the problem as a challenge rather than a burden, it can lighten your mental load. This sounds simple, but can be hard to do. I’m not sure this advice would be well received if given to me in a particularly difficult moment.

This too shall pass. — Abraham Lincoln

This is one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite sayings. Most problems are temporary. Reminding yourself that you will get to the other side of this particular problem can be helpful.

Do you need to change tactics? It’s often important that you solve the problem, but it is rarely important how you solve the problem. Thomas Edison famously tried thousands of different things before he found the winning material for the light bulb.

Summary

Persistence is vital in important endeavors. Making sure that you are focused on the right thing is even more important. Be wildly determined to complete the right goals. When things get tough consider:

• Breaking big problems into small tasks.
• Thinking about obstacles as opportunities to grow rather than problems.
• Most problems are temporary, time will help you make it to the other side.
• Consider switching tactics, rather than banging your head against a wall.

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