“Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche 

It’s a fine line between persistence and stubbornness.

Persistence: a firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

Stubbornness: dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something. 

Persistence pays off when we push through to the finish line, individually or as a team. An admirable trait, persistence works for the greater good of the whole, and is open to input.

Stubbornness, however, with its inherent resistance to outside input, keeps us stuck, anchored to ideas or positions best left behind—for the greater good of the whole.

Stubbornness rarely works well when considering the best outcome for a group; there is a selfish aspect to it that is less apparent in persistence.

We don’t live and work in isolation, we work in teams.

Bring persistence with you to your job. It helps keep your focus on the goal.

But leave your inflexible stubbornness at home, where the only one it affects is you.