"It's isn't the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!"

I’m not sure who first said that, but I love it. It doesn’t just apply to business, it applies to everything in life. The things I’m most proud of and that have been the most valuable to me are the things  I really had to work hard for.  Perseverance is critical for entrepreneurs and for those of you seeking a new career or job.

If you want to learn about perseverance, just read Ross Perot’s story about getting into the Naval Academy:

I had never seen the ocean or a ship. But I knew that I wanted to go to the Naval Academy. A prominent local businessman who had been the sponsor of my Boy Scout troop had attended the Naval Academy, and he had served as a great role model for me as a child. My friends couldn’t understand why I was so determined, but I had made up my mind.

I attended Texarkana Junior College for two years as I tried to get an appointment.  It was quite a challenge as my family had no political contacts. All I could do was keep writing letters to Congressmen and Senator, over and over.

Out of the blue I received a telegram from Senator W. Lee O’Daniel offering me an appointment. I was sworn into the Academy on my 19th birthday. Many years later after EDS had become a successful company, I received a call from a former aide to Senator O’Daniel who asked me, “Ross, didn’t you ever wonder how you got your appointment to the Naval Academy?”

I responded, “Yes, but I was not going to ask.”

The man told me, “I was cleaning up the Senator’s office one day and said, ‘Senator, we have an unfilled appointment to the Naval Academy.’  The Senator asked, ‘Does anyone want it?’ I said, ‘Well there is this boy from Texarkana who has been trying to get it for three years.’ The Senator said, ‘Give it to him.’ 

“Ross,” he concluded, “your name never even came up.”

Wow! Talk about perseverance. And it paid off big time for Ross. He knew what he wanted, decided to go after it, and didn’t give up.

You’ll need to pay special attention to perseverance as you start your new business or a new career.  Many people will tell you that it can’t be done.  “There are already too many people in that industry – it is very competitive!” or “No one will ever buy that product!”  It is surprising how many people are pessimistic and actually want to see you fail. Don’t listen to them. Surround yourself with a good support network and do not let the nay-sayers keep you from going after your dreams.

However, you should have some people who you can listen to. Build a strong support network that will enable you to succeed at whatever you’re doing. One of the most important elements of that network is a group of mentors. People that you can go to for objective advice and people you trust. They’ll tell it to you like it really is and only have your long-term, best interest in mind.

Many of you who have served in the military remember what boot camp was like.  Or maybe there are even some Army Rangers or Navy Seals reading this?  Think about how difficult those programs were and all the people that weren’t able to make it through. Why didn’t they make it?  It was my experience that most people dropped out because the weakest muscle in the human body is right between your ears.  They thought they couldn’t keep going, so they didn’t. Granted, some trauma injuries precluded moving forward, but more than half the people I saw leave plebe summer at West Point and Ranger School, simply quit.  They gave up because they thought they couldn’t do it. 

Starting a business or building a new career can be even more difficult so you need to go into it with your eyes wide open and ready to doing anything it takes. My first foray into the entrepreneurial world ended in personal financial disaster. I had amassed over $80,000 of personal credit card debt trying to support and grow the business. I knew it was time to throw in the towel when my last credit card was rejected at the grocery. Talk about a wake up call! After that I had to spend two years working for “the man” at Deloitte Consulting (a great firm!) to build up the financial reserves to try again.  In my heart I already knew I was an entrepreneur and I had to build businesses.  But in business school, I was told that the average entrepreneur fails FIVE times before finding success.  I didn’t let that deter me.  You shouldn’t either!

So you better be prepared to go the distance. Hopefully, you won’t have to fail five times, but the odds are good that your first attempt is going to be hard. Be prepared for that and persevere.

TAKE COMMAND!