Perseverance
I have just read Li Cunxin’s biography “Mao’s Last Dancer”.
Li Cunxin was a peasant from Qingdao, China who was picked out of a classroom at the age of 11. He left home to begin a seven-year long harsh training regime, that saw Li get up at 5.30 am and train until 9 pm, 6 days a week at the Beijing Dance Academy.
Li was discovered by Ben Stevenson, one of the world’s most respected teachers, choreographer and the Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet as part of the first US cultural delegation to communist China. Li became one of the first two cultural exchange students allowed to go to America to study under Mao’s regime.
On Li’s second trip to America he dramatically defected to the US completely cutting ties with China until Barbara and George Bush snr stepped in and negotiated a return. His is a fantastic story of determination and perseverance.
At first Li had no idea what Ballet was and had no passion for dance at all. Slowly he discovered his true love for dance and for me that is where the lesson’s began.
Passion and Motivation
He is a living example of Malcolm Gladwells 10000 hours. It was not until his fourth year of study that things began to click. Li began to train harder than the rest of his fellow students using every minute of every break, siesta and even training by candle light after lights out to get better.
“He would practise his turns at night by candlelight, and hopped, one-legged, up and down stairs with heavy sandbags tied to his ankles to build his leg strength at 5 am in the mornings when others were still asleep.”
Li used his passion to motivate himself to get better, to become the best.
Opportunity
Li was able to keep his head up and eyes open for opportunities that he believed would aid in his ambition; to become the best dancer in the world.
His first chance came when he was asked to become a member of Mao’s Youth Communist Party. His membership and standing in Mao’s communist China saw opportunity present itself where he would have otherwise been overlooked. At this stage in his life he was not the best dancer in his school. However the favouritism that was awarded to him as a member of the party allowed Li to gain experience and become a better dancer.
Li’s first trip to the US opened his eyes to the lies that were fed to the Chinese public under Communist rule, he decided that to become a better dancer he needed to spend more time in America.
His second trip opened his eyes even further to the opportunity that living in America presented, this and the love of his first wife, ultimately led to his defection from China to the US in 1981.
After reaching the age of 34 and becoming one the the most famous dancers in the world, Li saw retirement on the radar. By this stage he had married Mary McKendry a Ballerina from Australia, and moved to Melbourne. In true Li Cunxin style he studied finance with the Australian Securities Institute and landed a job at ANZ Securities in Australia. Li continued to dance while studying and working, after two years workload pressures forced a choice and Li retired from dancing.
This story of the rise of a peasant to one of the greatest Male soloist dancers in the world is a real inspirational rags to riches type story. The themes that I will take away from his tale, Perseverance, Passion, Motivation and Opportunity, without these themes I don’t think that we will be able to succeed on our individual journeys through life.
Li’s ability to Perservere and find his passion, use his new found passion to motivate himself and grasp opportunities that others do not see, is truly inspiring!
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Fascinating story. Gladwell’s 10,000 hours is based on studies and work around “Deliberate Practice” with solid research undergirding. The passion approach is flawed. The issue is perseverance, and it’s built on the “multiplier effect.” Herminia Ibarra shoots the hell out of the passion approach with superb research (Working Identity). Geoff Colvin follows through with perseverance and the “multiplier effect”, all built on solid research in his Talent is Overrated.
Still the Chinese story is fascinating.
Thanks for your thoughts Dan, I will check out Ibarra and Colvin. I like the idea that talent is overrated, it means that there is hope for the rest of us!
Luke: After reading through your current vocational situation, you may find the research on “bluffing” especially helpful. Here’s the link:
http://danerwin.com/research/pdf/bluff_your_way_into_a_new_job.pdf
At what point should you consider shifting from one employer to another? after 3.5 years (first proper job) and in my 3rd role is it time for a change? It seems to be the longer you stay in one company the more you end up becoming a specialist in one area and your long term prospects although available, start to become limited to only a few closely related industries. is starting the learning experience again and doing the next 2-3 years in another industry going to be a better option or stay and push for the next few opportunites within?
Joe: You haven’t given enough information to provide an intelligent response. What’s your education? If you’re asking me, I’d also want to know the industry you’re in, the size of the firm, the positioning of the firm in the industry, the various roles you’ve held, and, at least, the skill base you’re developing. After six years, unless you’re an excellent manager, it can be difficult to move into a new industry, unless that industry wants people from the industry you’re currently working in. Technology specialties transfer readily. Marketing research is a bit more difficult to transfer between industries. There is movement between industries in finance. Manufacturing can be easy or difficult, depending on your role and the experience base you bring. As a rule, it takes about three years to build a competency in a job, and after three years it’s time to move on into a different role. You can track me down on my website for more specifics.
Thanks Dan I have contacted you through your website