Perseverance > Endurance with Blayne Smith and Brandon Young

Send us Fan MailArmy veterans and leadership experts Brandon Young and Blayne Smith join the podcast for a powerful conversation about their new book, Perseverance > Endurance: Lead with Resilience. Grow Through Adversity. Win Together.Blending combat-tested wisdom, lived leadership experiences, and hard-earned insight from both military and civilian life, Brandon and Blayne break down what it really takes to lead through uncertainty—not just by gutting it out, but by growing through it.In this episode, they explore:The critical difference between endurance and perseverance—and why one leaves you tired and the other makes you betterHow the “ridgeline of adversity” framework helps teams understand where they are—and what to do nextWhat land navigation teaches us about mental toughness, bad assumptions, and moments of decisionThe trap of prediction vs. the power of preparation—and why confidence matters more than certaintyThe real reason some leaders cling to the way things were—and how to accept change without losing hopeWhy open dialogue beats open-door policies—and how to create cultures of candor, feedback, and trustThe discipline to choose action over intention—and how real growth happens on the other side of hardWhether you’re leading in uniform, navigating a career transition, or helping your team through a difficult season, this conversation delivers timeless tools and modern mindsets for becoming the kind of leader adversity demands.A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind.