Picture a little dog dragging a huge stick, or a child determined to get to a favorite toy that is out of reach, and you have seen tenacity in action.

It might be easier for them to grab a little stick, or play with a toy that is close by but nothing is going to stop them from trying.

So why as adults do we get stuck when problems look too big to solve, answers appear to be out of reach or things just get too hard? As leaders we need to be able to push ourselves, and our team, to breakthrough to achieve the results we want.

If it’s easy to achieve, it’s below your potential, says Leadership Freak Dan Rockwell. The more meaningful your dream, the more it requires of you.

Most of us get passionate about something, whether it’s getting that dream job, running a marathon, writing a book or achieving our targets at work. Reaching our goals requires persistence and determination. It’s easy to get excited at the beginning, but staying the course it much tougher.

Whether you are trying to achieve an individual or collective goal, Dan Rockwell’s tips in his blog, Six Ways To Move Your Team Toward Tenacity are helpful:

1. Enjoy, but don’t depend on excitement.
2. Connect with purpose…you need a reason to go through hell.
3. Include fear. Everyone one who makes a difference, fears they won’t. “What if you fail?”
4. Teach people to say, “I want to earn an opportunity.”
5. Eliminate whining, but create channels to address what isn’t working.
6. Don’t help too much. Struggle makes you strong.

If you and your team need help setting and achieving your goals, why not attend Studer Community Institute workshop on Goal Setting and Effective Leadership Evaluation Systems? All leaders and employees can benefit from this training, and anyone who wants to reap the benefits of setting goals that consistently achieve better results in work and life should attend.