“Sandpaper” Leadership – The Importance of Grit in Business
Accomplishing anything worthwhile in life requires determination and tenacity. But is there another level of “courageous persistence” that can offset a lack of pure talent?
The characteristics of grit and resilience have been getting a lot of attention in business and in education. Recently, some of our international clients have made resilience a focus of their business simulation-based leadership courses.
Here’s a great Forbes discussion on the topic, including Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of “practice with purpose” and Angela Duckworth’s focus on perseverance. Rather than just relying on pure talent, high-achievers seem to universally demonstrate grit when the going inevitably gets tough.
In business and in leadership, determination can often win the day. Do you show grit in your day-to-day business activities? And conversely, have you ever wondered if rather than being courageously persistent, you’re actually just sticking too long to a doomed plan?