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1-Page Summary of Grit to Great
Introduction
People are naturally curious about what drives success. Some people may have a natural knack for business, while others may be good at art. There’s always one question about high-profile success: How did they do that?
The answer is through hard work, but with a twist. Research shows that passion and drive are the secret ingredients behind innovation titans like Apple. Passion enables people to take existing skills to the next level and pursue new ones.
Why Grit Matters
Talent and education are only part of the formula for success. The drive to do something with your talents is what makes you stand out from everyone else. Some notable achievers, such as Steve Jobs and Michael Jordan, didn’t start off on top. They worked hard to get where they are today because they were dedicated to their work and had a strong desire to succeed.
New research shows that perseverance and passion are more important than talent or intelligence. This is called “grit.” Grit measures someone’s ability to get results instead of just talking about them. It measures character and drive instead of charisma. The best part about grit is that you can learn it over time because it’s learned, not innate. Gritty people have learned the value of hard work, which gets them better results in the long run.
There have been many discussions about participation trophies and the younger generations’ sense of entitlement. It’s become more common for parents and educators to make every child feel exceptional, which boosts confidence but takes away from hard work. Children who are told they’re good at something without having to put in any effort will neglect studying or practicing.
Grit is a combination of four things: guts, resilience, initiative and tenacity. It’s important to be fearless when it comes to pursuing your goals and not give up on them. You should also be self-motivated so that you don’t need someone else to push you toward achievement. One person who has demonstrated grit in the face of failure is Michael Jordan; he attributes his success with this trait because he keeps going even though he fails at times.
The Talent Myth
Angela Duckworth is a psychologist who has run studies to understand how grit can be measured in children and what makes them successful. She developed a specific scale that measures grit, which also identifies the type of assistance kids need to achieve their goals. This research debunked the long-standing theory that intelligence was most important for success; on the contrary, those with high IQs were used to working less and were more likely to give up when faced with new challenges.
The conversation of intelligence versus grit is changing the way we think about standardized tests. The research shows that high test scores don’t mean someone will be a great student or employee. Google has changed their hiring process by not requiring SAT scores and transcripts, which allows them to hire more people who didn’t go to college.
Grit is becoming more important because it reflects character. Character grows and changes with new experiences. Therefore, when someone knows the importance of not cutting corners, they will show that in their work and build a track record for sticking to this value. Grit leads to success by driving people to prepare for challenges and dedicate extra time honing skills.
Ditch the Dream
Everyone uses dreams to picture success. This can be motivating in the short term, but it causes more anxiety when you don’t meet your goals within a certain timeframe. It’s actually worse off by fantasizing about an ultimate goal because spending time on an idealized version of your future can trick you into thinking you’ve already reached your goals. Therefore, it’s even more crushing when you find yourself in a position where you still have a lot of work to do.
