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In this blog, we will discuss the importance of Grit in Organizational Behavior.

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Olivia Chime – Business Management

Samuel Courtney – Business Administration

Kizer Crum – Entrepreneurship

Abdou Khadre Dieye – Management

Chloe Smith – Hospitality Administration

Janai West – Entrepreneurship

What is Grit?

What do high achievers like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Kanye West have in common? Sure, they are all talented in their respective fields. But there is another trait that sets them apart: grit. Grit is the unique combination of passion and perseverance that enables individuals to persist in the face of adversity and achieve their goals. In this blog, we will explore the science behind grit and how you can cultivate this trait for your own success.

Grit is a psychological trait combining passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It is the mindset that you can achieve anything you want in life by putting in enough effort and setting your mind to it. People who are gritty have a powerful sense of purpose and direction and are less likely to be distracted by short-term goals.

Grit stands for Guts, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity. It is the top personality trait for high achievers. Some characteristics are mental toughness, overcoming adversity, and obstacles facing challenges. Grit is a powerful foundation of support in predicting success. Again, the secret to achieving long-term goals is passion and perseverance.

How Can I Use Grit in the Workplace?

Grit can be used to build stamina in the workplace. According to a Harvard Business Review article titled Organizational Grit, high achievers are reported to have high stamina. In the workplace, it is important to have a passion for what it is that you do so that achieving high results would seem less intimidating. When high achievers are already at the top of their work, there is always that little something more that could be done. Obtaining this grit quality can be immensely beneficial to you, your work, and your employer and if you are involved in a team project, it can be beneficial to your teammates as well! While we are on the topic of high achievers building stamina in a team, let us discuss grit in teamwork.

Grit is important for teamwork. A team that consists of individuals that possess the qualities of grit can be considered a gritty team. The qualities include:

Hard workers
The ability to learn and improve

Obtaining a powerful sense of purpose and priorities
Resilience

Gritty team members work together to achieve a specific goal. They usually recognize that more can be achieved as a team than working individually within the team. Gritty teams are organized. Everyone is on the same page. At work when working with coworkers but as a team, it is important that everyone is on the same page. It is vital that the entire team is aware of the end goal and is collectively working to achieve it. This can be done by meeting face-to-face (virtual is acceptable but face-to-face is more recommended) and discussing, reviewing, and setting new targets for the team. By meeting together, teams are easier to adapt to when everyone is familiar with each other. When everyone can potentially build trust with one another within the team, they can opt for a better chance to achieve what needs to be done. It is possible for a gritty team to run into challenges and setbacks, but it is important to not let those challenges overcome the purpose of the team was brought together. In a gritty team, all members should participate in growing to become better despite minor or major setbacks. When involved in a gritty team all should have an equal amount of commitment to effectively carry out tasks, efficiently as one.

Grit in Workplace Leadership: Stamina

Grit aids in developing and cultivating leadership qualities in individuals. From developing a high achiever’s stamina to using that in a team of people who have those same qualities, leadership is next up your sleeve! In a workplace, leadership traits are incredibly beneficial to have, especially the ones listed above. Passion is a major personality trait to possess as a leader in a workplace. You must care about what you do and the environment in which you lead. Perseverance is a key trait to adopt as well. Remaining resilient, consistent, and focused is incredibly important. Being able to provide your organizational environment with a visible, authoritative figure is a way of keeping order and standards/ expectations high. As a leader, you want your people to achieve high results and not lose that fiery passion to continue, but a way of implementing this is through leading by example. You can show them what you want them to be. Establish consistency within the environment. Growth, passion, and perseverance can be effectively used in the workplace as a grit leader.

Grit in Workplace Leadership:

Using Grit During the Hiring Process

Grit can be used in the workplace as a means to hire prospective team members. During the hiring process, hiring managers can determine the potential of prospective team members by understanding how much effort they are willing to put into their careers and not just by pure talent. The presence of grit will overpower the talent written on a piece of paper because the interviewee will show you how willing they are to meet personal and professional goals, including the goals for your business such as sales requirements, and client interactions. Below is a clip from Angela Duckworth on Why Effort Matters More Than Talent.

Why Should I Care?

Achieving Your Goals

By developing grit, you can stay focused and motivated to achieve your goals, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. One reason why grit is important in the workplace is that it helps enhance your ability to make decisions more decisively. “Good decision-making involves considering all of your options and the potential consequences of each choice. It requires you to gather information, weigh the pros and cons, and think about the long-term impact of your decisions.” Setting clear goals can help you make better resolutions. When you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you can make decisions that align with your goals and values, rather than getting sidetracked by distractions or temptations.

Another reason why grit is important in the workplace is because it helps you achieve goals that increase your motivation. “Motivation is essential for achieving your goals. Without motivation, it’s easy to get sidetracked or give up when faced with challenges.” Setting and achieving goals can increase your motivation and give you a sense of purpose. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can, and you are halfway there.” Having confidence in yourself gives you that extra boost to keep going when you are facing trials and tribulations. When you have a clear goal in mind, you are more likely to stay focused and driven, even in the face of obstacles.

Finally, grit is important in the workplace is that it helps enhance your resilience when times get tough on the job. “Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, to keep going even when things get tough. Resilient people don’t give up easily, but instead, see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.” Pursuing your goals helps you build resilience and cope with setbacks. When you experience challenges or failures, you can learn from them and use them as opportunities to grow and improve. Resilience is an important trait to have in the workplace as it can help individuals stay focused, motivated, and persistent in the face of challenges and setbacks, ultimately leading to greater success in achieving their goals.

In conclusion, developing grit is an important factor in achieving success in the workplace. With grit, individuals can make good decisions by staying focused on their long-term goals, increasing motivation by persevering through obstacles, and enhancing resilience by bouncing back from setbacks. The ability to stay committed, overcome adversity, and remain focused on achieving goals is essential for success in the workplace, and grit provides the foundation for these attributes. Therefore, individuals who develop grit are better equipped to navigate the challenges of the modern workplace and are more likely to achieve their professional objectives over the long term.

Works Cited

Duckworth, A. (n.d.). Grit. Character Lab. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://characterlab.org/playbooks/grit/

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews , M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007, January 10). Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals . Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://hezarsarv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Science-of-Developing-DuckworthPetersonMatthewsKelly_2007_PerseveranceandPassion.pdf

Lee, J. (2022, July 7). The Role of Grit In Organizational Performance During a Pandemic. Frontiers in psychology. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9302588/

Lee, T. H., & Duckworth, A. L. (2018, September 18). What Gritty Companies Look Like. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2018/09/organizational-grit

NPR. (2016, April 5). The Power and Problem of Grit. NPR. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/transcripts/472162167

Southwick, Daniel & Tsay, Chia-Jung & Duckworth, Angela. (2021). Grit At Work. Research in Organizational Behavior. 39. 100126. 10.1016/j.riob.2020.100126.

YouTube. (2019). Hard Work and Grit | Motivation. YouTube. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHoEYUy7LeI.

YouTube. (2020). Why Effort Matters More Than Talent | Angela Duckworth. YouTube. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAK5wMzRXAI.