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It took me nine years to complete my undergraduate degree. After a year as a full-time student, I found myself in an underground coal mine in southeastern Belmont County. I continued taking courses at Ohio University's Eastern Campus, one or two a quarter, until I had everything completed but my two-year foreign language requirement. I had taken two years of French in high school, which meet the requirement of one year of college French. I still needed the intermediate sequence of courses, 211-213.
By the summer of 1979, the professor who taught French at OU Eastern Campus had retired and was not replaced. This event put my plans in a pickle. One day, I drove over 100 miles to Athens to meet with the dean of Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences. I explained my situation and proposed to him that I be allowed to take the beginning level of courses in Spanish instead of the second year of French. In spite of much begging on my part, the dean would not allow the rule to be bent.
Since I was planning to move to Athens in a year and pursue my masters and doctorate anyway, I moved up my schedule and found a job at AEP's Meigs Number 2 coal mine.
I arrived in mid October and was too late to sign up for a course in the fall quarter. Three months later, I took French 211. It had been 12 years since I had taken my previous French courses and I was a little worried. Surprisingly, I made a B in the course.
In order to graduate in June, which was my goal, I would have to take 212 and 213 in the spring quarter. To sign up for both courses in the same quarter, I had to get a permission slip signed from the professor who was teaching 213.
I met with Dr. Gris and explained that I worked straight midnights in the coal mine and needed to take 212 and 213 in the same quarter to graduate. Dr. Gris straightened up in his chair, leaned across the desk, and said, "Let me make sure I understand this. You want to take both 212 and 213 in the same quarter and you are a coal miner?!" He paused and continued, "You can't do that."
I further made my case, "Well, yes I can if you sign my permission slip. Let me make a deal with you. If halfway through the course, you don't think I can pass, I will drop the course."
Somehow my logic or persistence softened his heart and he signed the permission slip. The next few months were not easy but I made Bs in both courses and was able to graduate on June 11, 1980 with my first degree.
My story of persistence is replicated everyday with others leaders. Two characteristics of successful leaders are persistence and passion. Most good leaders can tell you many stories about their failures that preceded their success.
My suggestion to a young leader is set a vision for your life and the goals to accomplish that vision. When life brings twists and turns in your career map, adjust and keep focused on the goal. If the vision is worthy, you will make it to a successful end.
R. Glenn Ray, Ph.D., is the president of RayCom Learning. To learn more about Ray's completely revised, third printing of The Facilitative Leader: Behaviors that Enable Success, visit his Web site, www.raycomlearning.com or call him at 740-629-4536. Everyday Leadership usually appears each Wednesday on the Business page.