02 Apr Grit. What is it really?

As we are moving into one of the most uncertain times many of us will have faced, we need to work together to get through it. The nature of work itself is changing and many of us are not prepared. Yes, we can work from home and set ourselves up on laptops, but we need to be mentally prepared for the time ahead. One thing that can help each of us persist through this is grit.

Grit is not about being the smartest person in the room, but rather it is the willingness and ability to hang in there when the going gets tough. It’s a single-minded dedication to a singular goal, coupled with the determination to see it through, which requires clear focus and prioritisation. Employees with true grit can overcome obstacles to reach goals and be confident and composed in the face of challenges.

While grit can be expressed differently for everyone, it consists of two key components:

• Passion: An intrinsic interest in your craft and a sense of purpose.
• Perseverance: Having resilience in the face of adversity and unwavering devotion to continuous improvement.

People who are strong in grit are always striving to improve. They are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve while remaining passionate about what they do. It is an integral aspect of success that is independent of and contributes beyond talent and intelligence. Grit involves consistently working towards a goal, maintaining effort and interest over time despite encountering failure, challenges, and plateaus in progress.

While some people tend to have higher levels of grit than others, it is something that can be developed. Developing grit requires a highly disciplined effort that starts with identifying specific areas for growth and persisting in achieving these goals.

Having passion: Having an intrinsic interest in your work or goals is essential. Passion not only fuels progress, but it also drives grit in a big way. If you know what you want and why you will work hard and persevere to achieve it. When you understand your purpose, you won’t give up in the face of challenge.

Building perseverance: Having resilience in the face of adversity and unwavering devotion to continuous improvement is necessary. Learning to keep going when faced with challenges is needed to build and develop grit.

Embrace Failure: A big part of leadership and grit is knowing that you will fail, but you don’t allow failure to define you or stop you. Failure is a big part of the path to success; it gives you the opportunity to learn. When you have grit and you fail, you move forward.