Grit

What is Grit?

Grit is a psychological trait that refers to our ability to maintain long-term passion and perseverance as we pursue our goals, even as we face setbacks or failures. It is a passion for a specific objective and the ability to keep moving forward with effort and focus over time. Gritty people are committed to their aspirations and not easily discouraged. They are resilient. They stay dedicated to their objectives and adapt and learn from their experiences. The good news is, we can all develop our grit!

The concept of grit became more popular with the research of psychologist Angela Duckworth. In her research, she found that grit is better at predicting success than talent or intelligence alone. In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she shares a success formula, where talent x effort = skill, and skill x effort = achievement.  Talent means how quickly your skills improve through effort, and achievement is what happens when you use your skills. Importantly in this formula, effort counts twice.

She goes on to explain that to foster grit, we need four psychological assets:

1. Interest: Passion grows from the intrinsic joy of doing what we do.
2. Practice: Perseverance grows from resisting complacency and trying to improve.
3. Purpose: Passion grows through a conviction that what you do matters.
4. Hope: Perseverance grows from rising to the occasion, even when we have doubts.

For a visual model, see Dr. Hayley Lewis’ Sketchnote below, reposted with her permission.

Duckworth developed a grit scale that lets you measure how passionate and persevering you find yourself. By answering a ten-item questionnaire, you can discover your grit level so that you can begin working on fostering it to achieve greater success.

Grit Experts

While Angela Duckworth is one of the most well-known experts on grit, other academics and professionals who have contributed to our understanding of this concept are:

1. Martin Seligman: an American psychologist and one of the founding figures of positive psychology. As a pioneer in this area of psychology, Seligman is known for his work on character strengths and virtues, optimism, happiness, and resilience. His work on learned optimism and resilience closely aligns with the concept of grit.
2. Paul Tough: an American author and journalist known for his thought-provoking books on education, poverty, and character development. Tough has written extensively about the importance of non-cognitive skills, including grit, in his book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character.
3. Shannon Huffman Polson: a graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the U.S. Army. After leaving the military, Polson pursued a successful career in the corporate world and later founded a leadership consulting firm. She also authored The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World

While Carol Dweck is known for her research on mindset, her work overlaps with the research on grit. She developed the idea of the Growth Mindset – the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work – which aligns closely with the idea of grit, where effort and perseverance lead to achievement. In fact, Duckworth and Dweck have collaborated in their research, examining the intersection of grit and the growth mindset.

Goal Hierarchy & Grit

In her book, Duckworth discusses the concept of a goal hierarchy:

1. Ultimate Goal: At the top of the hierarchy is our greatest, long-term goal. It represents what we aspire to achieve in our careers or personal lives.
2. High-Level Goals: Underneath the ultimate goal, we have high-level goals. These are specific, medium-term objectives essential to reaching the ultimate goal. They are usually more achievable and focused than the ultimate goal.
3. Low-Level Goals: These are day-to-day tasks. These goals are the small, manageable actions that we must regularly take to advance toward our high-level goals and, over the longer term, our ultimate goal.

The goal hierarchy reflects how gritty people keep a long-term perspective by breaking down their ambitious aspirations into smaller, actionable steps. By organizing goals into a hierarchy, we can maintain focus and track progress. Such an organization also helps define what tasks are deviating and keeping us from reaching our goals.

Applying Grit to Your Career Management and Development

To foster grit and help you advance in your career, consider:

• Setting clear goals and objectives and breaking them into smaller milestones.
• Embracing challenges and opportunities to learn and grow, persistently tackling them.
• Cultivating a genuine interest in your work and staying enthusiastic about your career path.
• Being consistent, putting forth the sustained effort, and working towards your objectives.
• Seeking and being open to constructive criticism, using it to improve your skills and performance.
• Developing a growth mindset, believing in your ability to learn and grow through effort and experience.
• Surrounding yourself with supportive colleagues and mentors who encourage your career development.

Tools & Exercises

• In his website, James Clear, an expert in habits, provides steps to work on developing Grit, based on Duckworth’s work.
• To understand your own grit levels based on personal circumstances, CharacterLab offers a quick review.

Other resources

1. PathWise Book Summary and Video Presentation
   https://pathwise.io/books/grit-the-power-of-passion-and-perseverance/
2. Organizational Grit: https://hbr.org/2018/09/organizational-grit
3. The Grit Factor: Building Courage, Resilience, and Leadership https://hbr.org/webinar/2020/06/the-grit-factor-building-courage-resilience-and-leadership
4. Angela Duckworth’s Five Minute Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en
5. Five Characteristics of Grit
   https://www.forbes.com/sites/margaretperlis/2013/10/29/5-characteristics-of-grit-what-it-is-why-you-need-it-and-do-you-have-it/?sh=5b1499c14f7b
6. Why Grit Is More Important Than IQ When You’re Trying To Become Successful
   https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2017/03/06/why-grit-is-more-important-than-iq-when-youre-trying-to-become-successful/?sh=f86c8bb7e45c
7. One Trait Great Candidates Share — and How to Spot It
   https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/one-personality-trait-great-candidates-share