Brandon Young and Blayne Smith are the authors of “Perseverance > Endurance: Lead with Resilience. Grow Through Adversity. Win Together,” and they bring a wealth of leadership experience shaped by their military backgrounds. Brandon, a former U.S. Army Ranger with four combat deployments in Afghanistan, and Blayne, a former Army Special Forces officer, advisory board member of GORUCK, and the first executive director of Team Red, White & Blue, co-founded Applied Leadership Partners in 2020 during the pandemic.
In this episode, they share hard-earned insights on fostering perseverance, embracing uncertainty, and guiding teams through adversity. They discuss how endurance is about surviving challenges, while perseverance is about thriving and growing through adversity.
They cover key leadership principles, including self-awareness, adaptability, and the importance of long-term thinking. They also explore how leaders can create sustainable work environments that encourage perseverance without leading to burnout.
Listen in to learn how to differentiate between endurance and perseverance, build adaptability, and lead through uncertainty. This is a powerful conversation.
Key Takeaways
[05:36] Brandon explains that endurance is about pushing through a defined hardship, while perseverance is essential for navigating long-term uncertainty and transformation. He shares how COVID-19 forced their business to pivot just three days after launching, leading them to develop a framework for perseverance.
[09:43] Blayne describes endurance as a trap for high-performers, explaining that leaders must recognize their limits and ask for help when needed. He uses a baseball metaphor, comparing self-awareness to feeling the warning track before hitting the wall.
[12:20] Jim suggests that endurance is like management—rationing resources to sustain effort—whereas perseverance is about leadership, making tough calls in uncertainty. Brandon agrees, adding that perseverance requires embracing the unknown and making the best possible choice at each step.
[18:27] Brandon explains that no plan survives first contact. Leaders must plan, but they must also recognize that external factors will always play a role. Planning is about preparation, not prediction. He stresses that adaptability is crucial, as rigid plans often fail in dynamic situations.
[22:08] Blayne emphasizes the importance of creating a culture where people feel safe making decisions. Leaders must set clear intent and boundaries while allowing flexibility. He warns that if leaders punish employees for making mistakes in earnest, they kill initiative across the team.
[24:03] Brandon explains that pride is the enemy of growth. Leaders must be willing to acknowledge their blind spots and learn from failure. Blayne adds that having a “white belt mentality”—constantly seeking to learn—helps leaders grow and gain credibility with their teams.
[29:39] Brandon shares that the hunger for excellence exists in all workplaces. Leaders must cast a clear vision, help employees see themselves in that vision, and create an environment where they can opt in or out. He emphasizes the importance of accountability and allowing people to step up when needed.
[35:41] Blayne recalls a time when he realized that leaders need to communicate proactively. He assumed his team knew where his head was at, but they didn’t. This experience taught him the importance of over-communicating and being transparent with his team.
[39:10] Blayne suggests that leaders must model a sustainable pace. Transparency about work-life balance gives employees permission to do the same. Brandon adds that leaders should extend the time horizon—understanding that success comes in peaks and valleys and that employees need time to recharge to perform well over time.
[44:04] And remember, “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
The Leadership Podcast is sponsored by W.S. Darley & Company.
Founded in 1908, Darley remains a family owned and operated business, providing the highest quality equipment solutions to our country’s warfighters and firefighters.
Learn more at darley.com and darleydefense.com
Quotable Quotes
"When you're enduring, you're holding on. When you're persevering, you're moving forward." Share on X "Self-awareness is knowing when you’re on the warning track before you hit the wall." Share on X "The enemy gets a vote. No plan survives first contact, and that’s why adaptability is key." Share on X "Pride is the enemy of growth. Perseverance payoff is growth." Share on X "If you can’t take 60 minutes to step away, you’re setting yourself up for failure." Share on X "It's not about less intensity, it's not about less excellence, it's about perspective. And if you can provide that for your people and model it, then you can get people to work really hard, really long and do really hard stuff… Share on X "Plans are necessary, but adaptability determines success." Share on X
This is the book mentioned in this episode
Resources Mentioned
- The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com
- Sponsored by | www.darley.com
- Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com
- Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com
- Blayne Smith LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/blayne-smith
- Brandon Young LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/brandonyoung14
- Website | www.appliedleadershippartners.com
- The Applied Leadership Podcast can be listened to and watched at the following links:
- Facebook | www.facebook.com/AppliedLeadershipPartners
- LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/applied-leadership-partners/?viewAsMember=true
- Instagram | @appliedleadershippartners
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