Each month, entrepreneur and author Sahar Hashemi answers a reader's question

Q: I run a medium-sized engineering firm that needs to change to cope with new competitors. But change is being resisted. How can I get my employees to display the same bravery and persistence that entrepreneurs do, as they don't seem to get it?

A: People mistakenly believe entrepreneurs are born with a persistence gene. There is no such thing. Tenacity is not a mysterious formula some of us can generate and others can't. It's there in your staff, it's just dormant. Think of persistence as a muscle you haven't exercised for some time. Entrepreneurs need to exercise it the whole time. But for individuals in big companies the fear of being rejected or sticking your head above the parapet and getting shot down, means your persistence muscles atrophy.

Entrepreneurs don't fear hearing "no"—it's part of the journey that leads to a "yes". Howard Schultz of Starbucks approached 242 people to raise money and was rejected by 217. Walt Disney was turned down 300 times for a loan. Colonel Saunders went to 100 restaurants before someone bought his fried chicken recipe. These great leaders all knew that new products and fresh ways of doing things always meet with resistance. It's the liability of newness—the human brain rejects the unfamiliar. The only way to overcome this opposition is to not give up and take the "nos" until you get to a "yes".

In corporate life there is often a stigma attached to hearing "no". The paradox is that companies want employees to embrace change, but they put such a high price on failure. No wonder complacency sets in. These companies must realise that mistakes and rejections are essential to innovation. Unless they allow employees to notch up "nos", they will never awaken their innate persistence and won't realise their full potential.

Sahar Hashemi's latest book is Switched On