Fable or fact, this tale of a unique man opens a lot of thought lines into what creates greatness — and a good hire.
Each year on his birthday the man went to his doctor for a checkup. This year was different, though. This was the man’s 100th birthday.
“Well,” said the doctor. “You are in excellent health. You are in better shape than I am. How do you do it?”
That’s easy,” replied the man. “Every day I walk five miles.”
“Five miles?”
“Five miles.”
“Every day?”
“Every day.”
“But,” said the doctor, “What do you do when it rains?”
“When it rains,” replied the man, “I wear a raincoat.”
With that answer, the man underlined what every employer, every school admission officer, every sports executive would love to know: Who will stay inside when it rains, or who will put on a raincoat and go out? When something needs to be done, who will find an excuse not to do it, and who will do it regardless of the circumstances?
The man who goes for a walk every day may be a hidden gem — that superstar no one else sees. Or not. For example: Taking a walk may be the only thing the man did consistently. Perhaps he quit five jobs, left three wives, tried the guitar and gave up.
So persistence is relative. People can hang in there for some reasons, and quit in others. The same problem that frustrates one person can fascinate another. And until you spend time with someone, observe habits and reactions, you might never know.
But employers, schools, and sports teams have to know. They have to get it right most of the time, because getting it wrong carries a cost.
To summarize, persistence wins. But persistence is relative.