Persistence Pays

From USA Today writer Bob Minzesheimer comes this powerful story about perseverance and the pursuit of our dreams and goals:


Talk about perseverance.
In 1977, Karl Marlantes, a former Marine and Rhodes Scholar, wrote a novel inspired by his combat in Vietnam.
This week, Matterhorn (read the review here), rewritten many times, finally is being published — and it's being touted by booksellers as one of the season's top novels.

Marlantes endured three decades of rejections. At times, he says, "I couldn't get anyone to even read it to reject it."
At first he was told: "No one was interested. We had lost an unpopular war."
In the 1980s, "I was told Hollywood had already done it."
In the 1990s, he was told to switch his story to the Gulf War. A decade later, he was advised to set it in Afghanistan.

But Marlantes, 65, a Yale graduate awarded the Navy Cross and Bronze Star, knew what war was like in Vietnam's mountain jungles in a winter monsoon. That's the story he wanted to tell.
He worked as an energy consultant, got married and had five children, now ages 19 to 31. He says he worked on the novel on weekends and late at night. He had put it aside for as long as a year but kept coming back to it.

In 2007, a friend recommended El León Literary Arts, a non-profit publisher in Berkeley, Calif. An editor loved it and arranged to print 1,200 copies of a $25 paperback. Marlantes' only pay: 120 copies that "I could sell."
Before its release, his wife, Anne, suggested sending a copy to literary contests, saying, "at least they'll have to read it." That's how Sessalee Hensley, fiction buyer at the Barnes & Noble chain, ended up being "blown away" by it.

But she thought a $25 paperback was expensive and a tiny publisher couldn't meet the demand created by the chain's Discover New Writers program.
She alerted Morgan Entrekin, publisher of Grove/Atlantic, best known for Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain.

Entrekin ended up buying the unreleased copies of Matterhorn (now stored in a warehouse) and co-published a revised $24.95 hardcover, with 60,000 copies in print. He calls it "the most amazing story" of his 33 years in publishing. "Not just Karl's persistence. But that his book turned out so well. I think it's a classic."

Marlantes' first draft was 1,600 pages. The version for El León was 800. With a new editor, he cut it to 598 pages to speed up the pace of the plot.
Marlantes, of Woodinville, Wash., sees two lessons for other writers:
"Over the years, the book got better. I learned from reading the greats — Tolstoy and Flannery O'Connor and others — and asking, 'How did they do that?'
"And you've got to stay at the table. If you walk away, nothing will ever happen."


What a story of perseverance! After 32 years, the hero who never gave up on his dream, who believed in himself and what he was doing, has written what some are now calling "a classic!"

This account really resonated with me. I too am learning how difficult it is to produce a literary work that others can appreciate! I have heard those words of rejection and faced the demons of self-doubt. Still do.

Reading about Marlantes' story makes me examine my own condition. Am I too quick to abandon my dreams at the first note of rejection? Or do I use feedback as a way to focus my approach, improve my strategies, and make myself better for the climb ahead?

While the title of Matterhorn refers to the fire base in Vietnam from which most of Marlantes' story takes place, it might also represent the long, steady ascent to the heights that represents the pursuit of our goals and dreams. It is a long, hard journey with many obstacles and numerous opportunities to turn back. But there are great rewards awaiting those who reach the summit.

Let us have no doubt that that achieving greatness, in business, in literature, or in life, requires perseverance and a belief -- in our cause and in ourselves. That's Leader Business.

The Leadership Test

Author Timothy R. Clark poses this very pointed question in his book, The Leadership Test: Why do you want to lead? Have you ever thought about that? Why are you willing to risk failure, sleepless nights, and all the headaches that come with being the man or woman in charge? If it's for the money, the glory, or the personal recognition -- you may not fare well in this endeavor. But if your response begins with what you can do for other people and how you can enable the success of those around you, then you just might pass!

Let me recommend a great read to you. Tim has hit on some critical topics here. "The Leadership Test" revolves around the relationship between Izzy, the eccentric high school teacher, and his former student Marcus. Their discussions on leadership really hit home with me and made me think about things like selfless service, accountability, and integrity. I think you will especially enjoy the self-assessment based on what Tim calls the five elements of the leadership test:

1. Fill Your Pack.
2. Sign Your Name.
3. Share the Stage.
4. Take the Oath.
5. Pour Your Cup.

I thought my friends might like to meet Tim and so I sent him a few questions, to which he graciously offered his response below:

-- The Leadership Test involves the relationship between a teacher and his former student. Why did you pick Izzy (the teacher) to help Marcus (the student) learn about leadership? We don't usually think about educators as being on the front lines of leadership!

To lead is to be in the business of influence. Teachers are on the front lines of leadership. They help create many of our most defining formative experiences in leadership. They teach us about intent and influence even though we don’t see it that way at the time.

-- I love what you call the "first question of leadership:" WHY do you want to lead? Leadership isn't for everyone, is it?

When we talk about leadership, I like to make the distinction between the core and the crust. The core refers to the essential qualities of character that guide our thoughts and actions. Unfortunately, we don’t spend near enough time on the core. We seem to obsess on the crust, which is all about building skills. That’s important too, but we need to go back and ask the first question: “Why do I want to lead?” We need to think long and hard about our intent to lead. This question reveals the motivational basis of our wanting to lead.

-- You have a unique definition of leadership: Leadership is the process of influencing volunteers to accomplish good things. This isn't the typical definition! What words would you highlight here?

I think it’s widely accepted that leadership is about the process of influencing people. We’ve got that part down. But now we must emphasize the fact that people are volunteers. This acknowledgement helps remind us of a couple of things. First, leaders are no better than their followers. Second, performance is based on a willing offering of discretionary effort. The history of leadership is one in which people are muscled, coerced, and pressed into service. Actually, this isn’t leadership at all, but we’ve been calling it that for centuries. Now it’s catching up with us. Increasingly, we are seeing a very interesting trend in organizations. In a turbulent, globalizing world, talented people won’t put up with this nonsense. They will laugh you out of the room and then leave the organization if they have options. Most organizations are still power-based organizations that operate on the authoritarian principle, but in highly competitive organizations that have to compete on a global standard, it doesn’t hold up. And the leaders who try to hide behind the trappings of power—title, position, and authority, they aren’t holding up either.

-- The book ends with an actual test for leaders. If we take it and don't do well, how can we improve?

If you don’t do well, you have actually passed the first unwritten test, which is to be honest with yourself. So congratulations on being willing to see the unvarnished truth of yourself. Most leaders are unwilling to have a truthful encounter with themselves in the first place. At this point, you should do the following. First, set achievable goals to improve on the individual tests where you see gaps. Second, plan specific ways to close the gaps. Third, take action. And fourth, hold yourself accountable to yourself and to others. Seek candid feedback to see how you are doing, and then keep up this “goal, plan, action, feedback” loop going. And I mean keep it going for the rest of your life. There are no shortcuts to becoming a great leader. It’s takes a lot of hard work, humility, and self-discipline. But the rewards are the sweetest that life can offer.

-- What do you think the biggest shortcoming is for leaders today among the five "tests" that you identify?

Leaders exhibit failure patterns on all five, but the one that is doing the most damage today is the four test: “Take the Oath.” We seem to have fewer and fewer leaders who are willing to bind themselves to act with honesty and integrity. As I say in the book, taking the oath is a private act. The oath you make is ultimately enforceable only by you. Our society is in desperate need of leaders of unflinching character. Life eventually teaches all of us that the toughest tests of leadership are not tests of the crust; they are tests of the core. And they certainly will come!

Thanks, Tim. You have set the bar high both as a writer and as a thinker on the business of leadership. Friends, this is a great book and I strongly recommend it. You can pick it up here at Amazon , at Tim's website, or any number of retail outlets. "The Leadership Test" is a simple book on a very complicated topic. Read it in a single sitting. Then reread it to really enjoy some of the pearls of wisdom in this excellent tome!

I'm a pretty simple person. Tim wrote this book for me! He has really gotten down to the HEART of the matter. When it comes to leadership...it really is about the HEART! Well done, Tim. That's Leader Business.

Petraeus on Leadership II

The Washington Post has a great site for video interviews with key leaders on significant leadership topics. Most recently, the interviews at "On Leadership" have provided some interesting insights from Army General Petraeus. You know him as the 4-star commander of the US Central Command, the author of the "surge" in Iraq, and the leader of the Coalition Military Forces in the Middle East during some very difficult and trying times.

Take a listen to his comments here. In this second interview (see here if you missed the first one), you will be interested to learn of:

-- Sharing risk. All too often we see poor examples of leadership in which all the rewards are reserved for management while all the risks are born by lower ranking members of the team, stockholders, and everyone BUT management. General Petraeus' example of sharing the risk by being out in the field with the troops helps us understand what it means to share both risks and rewards.

-- Keeping up morale. Leaders are always under a microscope, especially when dealing with negative news. How we respond sends a huge message to the troops and sets the tone for their own behavior. The General's comments to be seen as human but don't let them see your shoulders slump reminds us of the importance of inspiring others by being genuine and that perpetual optimism is indeed a "force multiplier!"

-- Empowerment. Providing direction, left/right limits, soliciting feedback, following up. As I like to remind my own troopers, "Empowerment is not abandonment!" I loved the aggressiveness seen in the sign at the company headquarters: "In the absence of guidance or orders, figure out what they should have been and execute aggressively." Leaders must encourage initiative, accept risk, and provide feedback.

-- Communication. The General talks about the importance of being available, of taking personal responsibility for the message. Leaders must be "brutally honest" with the truth. In the most difficult times, often all we have is our credibility. When people trust us, they will accept setbacks and difficult news, knowing that you are not spinning them and will communicate both positive and negative reports.

The General has certainly learned more than his fair share of lessons on leadership -- in his distinguished career and during the very difficult trials of the last 7 years. While he is not likely to take credit for his successes, they are many. His emphasis on leadership -- focused on inspiring excellence and enabling the success of the "troopers" through things like communication and empowerment -- certainly gives us confidence in the mission and those whom he leads. That's Leader Business.

P.S. Kudos to the Iraqi people who continue to demonstrate courage and a desire for freedom and democracy in the face of danger. The elections went forward this week with a turnout that we would love to see in the United States! Proud of the Iraqi people and the US and Iraqi military who enabled the security of the election process!

Petraeus on Leadership I

The Washington Post has a great site for video interviews with key leaders on significant leadership topics. Most recently, the interviews at "On Leadership" have provided some interesting insights from Army General Petraeus. You know him as the 4-star commander of the US Central Command, the author of the "surge" in Iraq, and the leader of the Coalition Military Forces in the Middle East during some very difficult and trying times.

Take a listen to his comments here. You will be interested to learn of:

-- How they dealt with difficult news, an all too familiar event in Iraq and now in Afghanistan. Leaders have to be able to put setbacks into context. They have to be able to learn from negative events without being defined by them.

-- Lessons learned from New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, about tending to small problems before they become much larger ones. Often, the discipline to do small things right has much larger implications for the team. Reminds me of a quote I learned long ago in my military career: "When you walk by a mistake without making a correction, you have just defined the new standard."

-- The concept of "Strategic Sergeants," meaning that the actions of low ranking members of the team can have potentially strategic impacts on the overall mission. When we value the contributions of each of our "troopers," training them to think strategically even while acting tactically, they will operate within the context of the bigger picture and enable the overall success of the operation.

The General has certainly learned more than his fair share of lessons on leadership -- in his distinguished career and during the very difficult trials of the last 7 years. While he is not likely to take credit for his successes, they are many. His emphasis on leadership -- focused on inspiring excellence and enabling the success of the "troopers" -- certainly gives us confidence in the mission and those whom he leads. That's Leader Business.

P.S. Today, 7 March 2010, is voting day in Iraq. Iraqis are conducting their first parliamentary elections as a sovereign, democratic nation. The bravery of the Iraqi people, and the "troopers" who endeavor under General Petraeus' leadership to give freedom a chance, will be on full display today. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers!