Follow Jesus’ example (Perseverance)
This blog is the sixth in a new series on excellence in leadership. Drawn from Chapter 11 of my book “More Than Your Business Card,” it explores Jesus’ conduct as the perfect example we are called to imitate.
GREAT LEADERS PERSEVERE
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, perseverance is “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.” One of the best tales of business perseverance is the birth of FedEx. Eugene Linden wrote about it in an article that was published in the April 1984 edition of Inc.:
“Some feel that the significance of [FedEx] is that it created a $3-billion industry where none existed before. . . . Others say the significance is in showing how one man, Frederick W. Smith, could see trends in the world, conceptualize a product that would capitalize on those trends, and motivate an untested work force to build a $1.2-billion empire. . . . Others assert that the company shows the virtues of persistence with the right product in a growing market. Finally, a broad spectrum of observers claim that the history of modern venture capital would be drastically different had the company failed. No matter how the story is told, however, it has assumed the status of myth.”
A few years after FedEx achieved lift-off, I was appointed CEO of a venture capital company. In those days, we often teamed up with other venture capital companies to do club deals. At a board meeting of one of the companies in which we had invested, I chatted about FedEx with my counterpart from Citicorp Venture Capital (CVC), a unit of my previous employer. CVC was one of the original investors in FedEx and had participated in multiple financing rounds. He noted that Fred Smith was not the only one who persevered. So, too, did the financiers who had the foresight (and the guts) to see FedEx through to launch. I suspect many would have tossed in the towel well before the company achieved commercial success.
As inspiring as the FedEx story is, Jesus’ story of perseverance is immeasurably greater. For context, Jesus came into the world He created with the goal of opening the door to relationship with God through His sacrificial death on a cross. It is one thing to persevere toward some worldly objective, as meritorious as that may be, but it is quite another for Jesus to proceed unwaveringly toward His self-proclaimed objective of dying for humankind!
From the moment He launched into public ministry, Jesus faced hardship, including temptation, misunderstanding, hostile opposition, and disappointment. The religious authorities vilified Him for, in their opinion, disobeying the Mosaic law, although at the same time they acknowledged that Jesus actually performed miracles.
I am forever grateful that Jesus persevered for me.
Even His own followers misunderstood Him. They didn’t get it when He plainly explained His mission. They doubted and opposed Him on occasion. Ultimately, one disciple betrayed Him to the authorities, and the rest abandoned Him. While Jesus’ death led many to believe that He had failed, His resurrection on the third day vindicated His claims and opened the door to my relationship with God. I am forever grateful that He persevered for me.
Like everyone else, dear reader, I am sure there are times when you are tempted to “toss in the towel.” When you are, focus on Jesus’ example of perseverance and receive His strength to persevere in every difficult situation.
Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
