Persistence is an essential trait of all leaders. I wanted to illustrate this trait by presenting a timeline of the life of a man I believe to have been one of the world's greatest leaders. Can you guess
who it is?
AGE 7 - Worked to support family after they were forced out of their home
AGE 9 - Mother died
AGE 22 - Failed in business
AGE 23 - Defeated for legislature and couldn’t get into law school
AGE 24 - Declared bankrupt and spent 17 years paying off debts owed to friends
AGE 25 - Defeated for legislature again
AGE 26 - Fiancée died
AGE 27 - Suffered a nervous breakdown and spent six months in bed
AGE 29 - Defeated in becoming speaker of the Legislature
AGE 34 - Defeated for Congress
AGE 37 - Defeated for Congress again
AGE 39 - Defeated for Congress yet again
AGE 45 - Defeated for Senate
AGE 47 - Defeated for Vice President
AGE 49 - Defeated for Senate again.
AGE 51 - Elected President of the United States
You may have guessed by now this timeline relates to Abraham Lincoln. It seems fitting to finish with a quote that epitomises persistence.
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln
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