Many of us were brought up to believe that Persistence is good, that we need to stick with things if we are to have any chance of succeeding in life.
This is the moral of numerous fables, including the race between the hare and the tortoise (which of course the tortoise won, by just plodding away).
Change and the pace of change are redefining our world. Based on this, Persistence might be one of the things we might sometimes need to lose – or at least dial back – if we are to succeed.
Consider these examples –
Persistence may not always be the path to success.
Persistence and Change Agent strengths paired: 
- You continue with making change long after that change has been overdone.
- You continue to push when actually what is needed is a time of settling down and integration.
- You feel torn within, vacillating between your thrust to change and your constraints of just sticking with the way things are.
Persistence and Competitive strengths paired: 
- You always strive to win, to outdo the competition, to be the best
- You may not know when to stop, taking that competitive spirit over and above the areas where it is appropriate or helpful.
Persistence and Counterpoint strengths paired: 
- You are argumentative – don’t know when to concede or even just allow other people their perspective!
- You may be seen as argumentative or even pure troublemaker when you are “just being yourself.”
Some combinations of Persistence and other strengths are powerfully constructive.
Persistence and Legacy
- Creates the person who is committed to building the things that will outlast him, and will stick with doing so, always being guided by the benefit she will ultimately leave behind.
Persistence and Mission
- Creates the person who will stick with her goal and continue working to achieve it, overcoming whatever obstacles may be placed in the way.
Persistence and Pride
- Creates the person who will push through tiredness, boredom and resistance to ensure she delivers consistently the best quality work she possibly can.
In our ever changing world, Persistence may sometimes be a virtue, but knowing when to exercise it, and when not, is probably the greatest virtue of all.
Adapted from “When to Stick and When to Quit” by Alex Linley, 2011, Capp’s Realise2 Strengths Dynamics, strengthsdynamics@cappeu.com
