Tips To Nurture Grit
Most of us assume those who are successful are so because they have a special talent, are innately intelligent or otherwise possess some rare and special skill. As a young entrepreneur just getting started with my first business, this thought often kept me up at night. Was I smart enough to make this work?
I long believed that hard work is the only way to get things done. Of course, luck plays a role too, but good luck, in my opinion, seems to happen to people who look for it. I now think a lesser-known yet all-important trait known as “grit” is the key to success—and it’s one that complements hard work and luck in order to make the most of both. Without grit, I don’t think I’d be in the position I am today.
In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, psychologist Angela Duckworth studied why some people are more successful than others and concluded that the common denominator was grit. As part of her research, Duckworth visited the West Point military academy to analyze why cadet candidates drop out. She wanted to define the factors that would indicate which of the candidates would end up dropping out.
West Point already had an overall candidate score to grade would-be cadets based on SAT or ACT scores, high school grades, fitness and athletic achievements. Duckworth expected that the candidates with the highest overall candidate score were the ones least likely to drop out. Yet her findings indicated that a higher academic score and higher IQs did not determine whether candidates were less likely to drop out.
She then designed a questionnaire to establish a grit scale. This included questions about perseverance and passion, such as “How often do you start a project and lose interest?” or “How often do your interests change from year to year?” Again to her surprise, Duckworth noted that the higher overall candidate score did not correlate to a higher grit scale score. She had expected the candidates with the highest IQs to also be the ones to have a higher-than-average grit score, but that wasn’t always the case.
It startled Duckworth that so many high-profile West Point cadet candidates would choose to give up when they had only just started their training. She had a feeling that it was more about staying power, determination and perseverance. So when she compared the grit scale scores to the candidates that had dropped out, she wasn’t surprised to see that a higher grit score meant cadets were less likely to abandon their dream.
This is true in my experience as well. Here are a few tips I’ve learned during my time as an entrepreneur that helped me to nurture grit in myself and others:
1. Embrace challenges.
I was never the smartest kid in my class, and I faced my fair share of adversity during my younger days, including mental health setbacks, bullying and, at times, prolonged social isolation. I knew that I had limitations and that I’d have to accept them if I were ever to succeed.
2. Hold on to your vision.
Starting my first business at the peak of the dot-com bubble was my first lesson in grit. When the market crashed, it pulled all the momentum from under my feet. When the digital market was just starting to take off, I had my company’s investors pull out, and I was left in a very vulnerable financial position.
Fortunately, I found the strength to push on regardless of the risks I knew that lay ahead. I secured other funding sources when others were telling me to cut my losses and back away. I always knew that I wasn’t always the most gifted—there is always someone who’s going to be smarter or more creative or harder working. But I knew that for as long as I held on to my company’s long-term vision, I could find the grit to persevere, push on and find success even in the face of near-insurmountable odds.
3. Pay it forward.
Grit is the one trait that I, as a mentor, try to instill in younger entrepreneurs. Your road as an entrepreneur likely won’t be easy or straightforward. But, fortunately, those who train themselves to persevere and remain committed to their vision and principles are much more likely to attain their entrepreneurial goals than those who lack this sense of grit.
Simply being willing to get started may not be enough to keep you going. Hurdles will always arise, and they may make you stumble. It’s in those moments you will be grateful to have spent time cultivating grit.