In a world that runs at full speed, we’ve become conditioned to want results right now. We track daily stock prices, quarterly earnings, instant downloads, and next-day delivery. Success has been reduced to how fast something grows, how quickly it scales, how loudly it announces itself.

But the more I watch leaders, companies, families, and even communities, the more one truth keeps resurfacing:

The things that last the longest are rarely the things that happen the fastest.

Think about it. A tree that stands for a hundred years doesn’t grow in a season. A trusted company doesn’t earn loyalty in a single sale. A meaningful career isn’t built from a job title—it’s built from years of consistent integrity, competence, and effort.

Recently, I came across a new book by Eric Becker titled The Long Game that studies some of the most enduring companies in history. These are organizations that remained relevant and admired for decades, not because of luck, and not because they were always the biggest, but because they chose endurance over urgency.

And what they learned applies not just to corporations, but to families, leaders, and everyday life.

Here are a few lessons that stood out.

Enduring success starts with purpose, not speed.

Anyone can chase a trend. Anyone can go viral. But endurance requires a reason to exist beyond the next financial quarter. In business and in life, short-term wins feel exciting, but they don’t always build something meaningful. The most successful organizations, and the most fulfilled people, play for a purpose bigger than “right now.”

Culture is a strategy.

In companies that last, culture is not a slogan on a wall. It’s a lived identity. It’s how people treat each other, how decisions get made, and what gets celebrated.

Products can be copied. Technology can be outrun. But culture, authentic culture, is a competitive advantage that can’t be bought.  If you’ve ever been in a company with a great culture, you know exactly what I mean.

Slow decisions. Fast execution.

One of the surprising lessons from Becker’s research is that enduring companies are patient when choosing direction, but relentless once the decision is made.

Too many organizations sprint forward without thinking or overthink until opportunity passes. The best leaders do neither. They choose their path carefully, and then they move with focus.

There’s a lesson in that for all of us.

Trust compounds like interest.

Enduring companies don’t just create customers, they create believers. They treat people well, honor commitments, and show up consistently. Trust doesn’t grow loudly. It grows quietly, and then suddenly, it’s the strongest asset they own.

The same is true in relationships, parenting, marriage, and friendship.

They invest when others retreat.

This is perhaps the hardest lesson of all. In downturns, when fear is high and resources are tight, most organizations pull back. But the ones who endure look ahead. They hire when others freeze. They build when others pause. They bet on the future when the present feels uncertain.

Crisis reveals who is thinking long-term and who is not.

They measure success beyond profit.

Profits matter, of course. But the companies that play the long game measure things you won’t find on a spreadsheet: reputation, mission alignment, employee pride, customer trust, contribution to community.

Because profit is a result. Purpose is the reason.

They tell stories that last.

Every enduring organization has a narrative, who they are, what they believe, and why they exist. People don’t follow data; they follow story. Lives change when someone feels part of something meaningful.

So, what does this mean for us?

Most of us aren’t trying to build a 100-year-old corporation. But every one of us is building something: a family, a career, a reputation, a legacy.  And the question becomes:

Are we playing for the moment, or for the long game?

The long game is slower. It’s quieter. It doesn’t get applause every day. But it produces something fast success rarely does: Depth. Trust. Legacy. Meaning.

In work and in life, the things we build carefully tend to be the things that matter most.

Success is what you achieve.
Legacy is what you leave.

And the people who play the long game make decisions their future self, and their future generations, will thank them for.

Tony Thelen is an executive coach and founder of The River Coaching and Consulting based in West Okoboji, Iowa.  He has a new book called “Things We Desire” that is available on Amazon or any major book retailer, contact him for signed and personalized copies at [email protected]