How to Know If You Have the Grit to Win
By Sandy Schroeder
A lot of qualities go into job success, but there is one element that always seems to turn up. Most people call it grit, that extra something that separates successful people from the rest of the pack.
Dr. Travis Bradberry, co-founder of TalentSmart, an agency that services 75 percent of the Fortune500 companies, spent some time recently defining what grit really is. He said, “Grit is the passion, perseverance and stamina that we must channel to stick with our dreams until they become real.”
Wherever you are in the job spectrum, you have probably seen grit in action. Maybe you have been the one with the grit. If so you know grit is often about doing things nobody else is willing to do.
Bradberry tells us more about grit with these observations.
You need to keep fighting - When the going gets tough, grit comes to the rescue and you keep right on going. As you learn to persist, that trait may become automatic, helping you step up instead of stepping back.
You need to be willing to fail - Most successful individuals will tell you they had a number of failures before they made everything work. Ignoring others, and focusing on the issue, can help you learn from a failure as you turn everything around.
You need to take on tough tasks - Rethinking a project or working late hours takes stamina. It would be easier to fold everything up and go home, but people with grit know when an extra push is needed, and they supply it.
You need to believe in yourself - When tough problems call for smart decisions, you may find yourself going with what you see. After looking at every angle, draw on your experience to make the best call.
You need to stay cool - People with grit avoid emotional outbursts that simply muddy the waters. Pausing a moment to collect yourself may help save a project and keep everybody focused. Lashing out or pointing fingers simply slows everything down and weakens the effort. The people that I have seen succeed know how to remain calm and keep everyone else focused.
You may need to be a miracle worker - Sometimes you may have to work faster and be more creative than you thought possible. Grit makes it happen as you dig in your heels and work at top speed.
You need to be willing to give your all - Those people who are very enthusiastic in the morning, and always ready to leave promptly at 5 p.m. are a different breed. Grit is not their thing. Often, success is not theirs, either.
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