“In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Many years ago, when my wife, Priscilla and I first moved to the Czech Republic and I met the former President, Vaclav Havel, and later advised his foundation, I took a great interest in his writing and philosophy. Havel was not a fan of enthusiastic people because, he said, their enthusiasm very easily finds a new thing to be enthusiastic about and they accomplish little. When I read Goethe’s quote, it not only reminds me of Havel’s determined, disciplined approach, but also how often I have seen very bright, talented, enthusiastic people, earn the reputation of never actually accomplishing anything. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see people who are enthusiastic, especially leaders, but, at the end of the day, as Goethe reminds us, the enthusiastic dreamers need to either surround themselves with disciplined people with the perseverance to see things through, or they need to personally develop this trait through honest reflection. For the enthusiastic among us, to disregard these two things can only lead to disappointment.
Good luck on your journey!
