There are three secrets to managing. The first secret is have

The words of Chuck Tanner, “There are three secrets to managing. The first secret is have patience. The second is be patient. And the third most important secret is patience,” resound like a chanted mantra of wisdom. They are deceptively simple, yet beneath their simplicity lies a profound truth that the ancients themselves would have recognized: the greatest strength of a leader is not found in haste or fury, but in the quiet endurance of patience. To manage—whether men, affairs, or even oneself—is to dwell in the storm without being broken, to wait upon the turning of time, and to act not in anger but in calm persistence.

The repetition in this teaching is no accident. By naming patience three times, Tanner reveals it is not one virtue among many, but the very foundation upon which all leadership stands. To lack patience is to be enslaved by impulse, blinded by frustration, and deaf to the lessons hidden in delay. But to cultivate patience is to see clearly, to endure trials, and to guide others through the long road that true achievement always demands. Just as the farmer must wait for the seed to sprout and the sailor must wait for the winds to change, so too must the leader wait with faith, knowing that every season has its appointed time.

Chuck Tanner himself lived these words as a manager of men upon the baseball field. When his Pittsburgh Pirates faced struggles, he did not lash out in despair or burden his players with fear. Instead, he held steady, encouraging them to trust the process, to persist even when victory seemed far. His patience bore fruit in 1979 when the Pirates, against all odds, won the World Series. That triumph was not the triumph of force, but of endurance—of a leader who believed that the long path could be endured if one walked it step by step with patience.

This truth is not bound to sport alone. Think of Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for twenty-seven years, enduring injustice without surrendering to bitterness. He might have demanded vengeance, but instead he chose patience, waiting for the moment when freedom could be won without bloodshed. His patience did not weaken him; it made him unshakable, and when the hour arrived, he led his people not with rage but with reconciliation. History remembers him not as a prisoner, but as a leader who turned patience into power.

The danger of impatience is great, for it makes us seek shortcuts where none exist, to abandon the work when the fruit is not yet ripe. An impatient leader sows discord, for his followers see not steady guidance but flickering instability. But patience creates harmony, steadiness, and trust. It builds faith that even in hardship, the leader will not falter or abandon the journey. Patience is thus the heart of management, for to manage is not merely to command, but to sustain, to nurture, to guide over time.

Let us take this lesson to heart in our own lives. When frustrations arise—when our work lags, when others disappoint us, when results come slower than we wish—we must not be quick to anger or despair. Instead, recall the triple teaching: have patience, be patient, and above all, patience. Pause, breathe, and continue the labor with steady resolve. Trust that time, joined with effort, brings forth results no haste can achieve.

The practical action is clear: cultivate patience as you would cultivate strength. Practice it daily—in conversation, in work, in pursuit of your dreams. When you are tempted to force the bud before its bloom, remember that all true growth is slow. Begin with small acts of endurance, and in time you will grow into the steadfastness of a true leader.

So I say to you, O listener: carry with you the triple secret. Patience, patience, patience. It is not weakness, but the greatest strength. It is not delay, but the steady path to triumph. Those who master patience do not merely manage—they endure, they guide, and they lead their people to victory across the seasons of life.