Perseverance: the strengths advantage

Perseverance is about finishing what you started, pushing through obstacles, and maintaining focus until the job is done

For product and transformation leaders, it’s the strength that sustains momentum when challenges stack up and begin to feel insurmountable

At the senior Head of, Director, General Manager, and C-Suite levels, perseverance is a critical leadership quality. Our jobs rarely go smoothly and resilience is what carries teams through

Examples of underuse. A Head of Product may abandon initiatives too quickly when early metrics disappoint, leaving teams frustrated and feeling like they never deliver or make an impact at work. A General Manager in Strategy and Transformation who gives up on embedding their agile or product operating models after initial resistance risks signaling to their organisation that innovation is optional

Examples of optimal use. A Delivery Director might hold firm on data driven, outcome focused, value driven delivery priorities when the loudest, highest paid person in the room demands they switch gears based on nothing but their opinion. A Chief Product Officer might model perseverance by championing long term strategic innovation goals despite short term market pressures to grow revenue tactically; signaling commitment, steadying stakeholders, and building organisational resilience

Examples of overuse. Perseverance taken too far can become stubbornness. A Head of Transformation who refuses to pivot from a failing program risks wasting resources and eroding credibility. A General Manager in Product who insists on “finishing what we started and delivering what we promised” even when the market feedback tells them they should abandon the feature may lock the organisation into outdated strategies

The sweet spot is perseverance that sustains momentum without tipping into rigidity. Product and transformation leaders who use this strength well will inspire confidence, build resilience, and deliver outcomes that have both longevity and a positive impact

Research shows that leaders who know, apply, and maximise their strengths experience higher resilience, stronger influence, and improved performance outcomes. Perseverance is just one of the 24 strengths that we explore in The Strengths Advantage

The Strengths Advantage

Book your team into the half-day workshop to show them the light and the dark side of perseverance, or choose the 90-minute 1:1 leader session to work out what you should keep going with and what you should let go of!