mindset.

Credit: Angela Duckworth PhD (1970-)

Summary:

Grit, like sisu, is a quality aligned to having passion and perseverance to achieve long term goals. Grit does not seek to describe talent, but the quality demonstrated by those who hold onto hope and persevere when all seems lost.

Real world application:

Living life like it is a marathon rather than a sprint. Living life in pursuit of goals you care about so much that it gives meaning to all that you do. The worthy pursuit of growing grit, particularly in young people, requires leaders (read parents, teachers, managers) to provide sufficient opportunities for people to be challenged in a way that exceeds what they were able to do previously, and the wrap around support that makes learning and growing from challenge possible.

There is some debate in the context of Duckworth’s work that suggests that growing grit in young people from hard places ignores the underlying structural/socio-economic barriers to achievement. I agree that the use of the concept in hard places should proceed with caution, and  that attention in equal or greater measure must be paid to addressing the structural barriers- such as ensuring people are safe, have the material basics, and the essentials of life are in place.