True Grit
December 2005
The expression, “quitters never win and winners never quit,” is placed firmly in the minds of many children in an attempt to teach them to persevere. Contrasted against innate talent or intelligence, touting perseverance seems like a vague attempt to soothe bruised egos. Yet, new research points to the power of persistence and tenacity in achieving greatness. Additionally grit, it seems, can be cultivated and strengthened.
We sometimes acknowledge others who are more successful by suggesting that they are “more intelligent,” “more talented,” or “lucky.” We might even take comfort in the supposedly immutable truth that they were born to succeed and we were not. However, studies by Dr. Robert Sternberg (
As reported in Psychology Today (December 2005), a series of new studies at the University of Pennsylvania uncover the power of grit in achieving success at school, work, and other pursuits. Grit is defined as “the determination to accomplish an ambitious, long-term goal despite the inevitable obstacles.” New studies are being undertaken to understand the true nature of grit and how to develop it in children and adults. What’s certain is that developing and nurturing grit has value to everyone. The article suggests seven ways (in bold) to nurture grit in others. We believe these may also be applied to achieving personal greatness.
Help people find their passion. When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you are more likely to persevere when things get difficult. What is your passion?
Don’t worry about balance. No one can be great at everything. Identify what you do well and focus on it. What are you good at?
Provide criticism lessons. Learning how to receive criticism without losing motivation will help prevent derailment when striving to complete a task or achieve a goal. Can you hear criticism dispassionately?
Be a model of grittiness. People imitate what they see. Model grittiness for others and identify a role model for yourself. Who is your “grittiness” role model?
Offer challenges. Offer challenges or take on challenges that require sustained effort, but aren’t impossible to attain. What is your next challenge?
Teach people how to handle and learn from failure. Developing coping mechanisms is essential because there are always setbacks and failures on the way to achievement. What are your coping mechanisms?
Encourage optimism. Having a positive sense of the future is directly linked to perseverance. Are you optimistic about the future?
Nurturing grit may seem counter-cultural in a society like ours that is so focused on instant gratification. Yet, if success can be attained more readily by fostering grit, we say that developing true grit in ourselves and others is worth the effort.