A few years back, my, then, college-age son began the process of searching for a summer internship. He had a few companies in mind, with Company A being his top choice. Their application process starts with a personality assessment. He told me he had “failed” the assessment and wouldn’t be eligible to reapply for another year. Still, he was also exploring opportunities with Company B.
Fast forward a few weeks:
Him: I retook Company A’s personality assessment again and failed it again.
Me: How did you retake it? I thought you couldn’t for a year.
Him: I used a different email. This time, when I failed, I dug into why I failed, and I realized the test wasn’t loading correctly on my computer. I’ll try again tomorrow on a different computer.
Me: But you’ve already taken it twice.
Him: I have multiple emails. I’ll use another one.
Him: Oh, and did I tell you about the call I had with Company B?
Me: No… you haven’t mentioned it.
Him: I saw on LinkedIn that they were hosting a virtual career fair at Such-and-Such College in an hour. I went to that school’s site, figured out what platform they were using, logged in with my student ID, and scheduled an interview for 10 minutes later. I let them know I wasn’t a student at that school and explained that they weren’t visiting my school, but I was interested in doing an internship at their company, and I thought this was a good opportunity to talk to them.
This exchange made me pause. What I was witnessing was pure perseverance.
According to the VIA Character Strengths, perseverance is “sticking with things, being hardworking and following through despite obstacles.” Positive Psychology expands on this, framing perseverance as the continuous drive to reach our goals and improve through effort. It’s about valuing long-term rewards over short-term comfort.
Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, argues that grit (perseverance plus passion) is a key predictor of success. Talent and potential are only part of the equation. What matters just as much, if not more, is the ability to keep going after setbacks. As Thomas Edison famously put it, “I have not failed; I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
My son’s story highlights a few key ways to build perseverance:
- Have a goal/know what you want. His goal was clear: land an internship with Company A or B. He knew why it mattered and what opportunities it could open up.
- Remember your “” Motivation deepens when we tie effort to purpose.
- Don’t be afraid to fail. He failed twice, laughed about it, and kept moving. Failure became fuel, not a barrier.
- Take risks. His creative approach with Company B required stepping out of his comfort zone. Success there will make him more likely to take future risks.
- Have hope. Beneath his persistence was an optimism that his effort could make a difference.
As this story highlights, perseverance doesn’t always look glamorous; it often looks like failing at something, trying again, and finding another way in. Watching my son navigate these setbacks with persistence reminded me that success rarely comes from a straight path. Instead, it comes from staying engaged, embracing failure, and trying one more time. In the end, he did not get an internship with Company A, he was offered a role at Company B, but in the process, he found Company C and decided that was the best fit for him.
As leaders, parents, and professionals, we can all benefit from cultivating perseverance: clarifying our goals, remembering our “why,” leaning into risk, and holding on to hope. Because, as my 21-year-old reminded me, determination paired with creativity can turn obstacles into opportunities.
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