"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room."
Dr. Melanie Booth posted a similar picture to her blog, PrattleNog. After I was done chuckling at the thought of trying to sleep with a mosquito in the room, it dawned on me that this picture embodied a thought that I often share with people who feel like they can’t make a real difference in their place of work. The thought is this, sure, you may not have the power to force changes throughout your entire organization. But you can always have influence in your own small circle of friends and colleagues. And over time, who knows? You might find that you have much more influence than you imagined.
There are many examples of people who persisted in the face of impossible odds to make a difference. Mother Teresa was one. Nelson Mandela was such a person. The key to their success was simply endurance–being a non-quitter. They were persistent.
One journalist wrote of Mother Teresa: "When I met Mother Teresa, I discovered she was very tiny–less than five feet tall–and kept her head cocked to one side. She had gnarled hands and thick peasant feet that protruded from under her coarse white sari. Although there was no mistaking the aura of warmth and kindness that surrounded her, I felt I was in the presence of the most powerful, focused and determined person I had ever met."
Nelson Mandela is another famous example of determined leadership. Mandela’s single goal was to end apartheid in South Africa. Though he was imprisoned for many years, he steadfastly held to his principles. He was committed to reaching his goal and he never wavered from his vision. Mandela was focused and disciplined—a persistent leader.
Those famous examples hold lessons even for those of us who hold less exalted positions in our communities and organizations. We have all heard of persistent people who have accomplished spectacular things—the person with cancer who runs a standard 26.2 mile marathon, the blind person who climbs Mr. Everest, or the single mom with four kids who graduates from college (that was my Mom, by the way). In order to leave this world a different place, be persistent. Leaders don't grow in a comfort zone. Leaders are not people with exceptional talent; they are people who have learned from their mistakes and get up and try again.
Are you persistent in the pursuit of your goals?
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