In Celebration of Grit
“Grit,” says dictionary.com, is “firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck: She has a reputation for grit and common sense.”
I ran into a passel of grit this week and seeing it made me feel proud.
In a time when the dominant slogans for feeling good advise us to take it easy, go with the flow, and steer clear of those things that cause us turmoil, the characteristic of grit doesn’t get much traffic. And yet, research in positive psychology shows that people who have a fair share of it are generally happier than those with lesser amounts and achieve more than those who lack it – even when they’re less talented.
Grit is perseverance, persistence and exceptional commitment to your aims. It’s the sustained and focused application of your aptitudes and abilities over time. It’s the stuff that makes the difference between winners and also-rans.
The director of the clinic where I work showed the staff what grit is this week when she came to work after a surgery that left her with two very black eyes. She wore rhinestone-studded sunglasses — to keep from scaring us all with her appearance, she said with a laugh. But I knew it took some courage for this always beautifully groomed woman to work a very visible job with a temporarily disfigured face, especially when she was feeling a fair amount of pain as well. She could easily have taken the week off, especially since this week held her birthday. But her commitment to her work and to the staff took precedence for her over her own comfort.
As if the sore and blackened eyes weren’t enough, on Tuesday night she severely injured a deteriorating knee. But again, she mustered the determination to come to work, walking with a cane, despite the obvious pain and the further insult to her image. Don’t get me wrong; she’s by no means a vain woman. Her attention to her appearance is a part of her professionalism. She maintains high standards in all that she does.
In fact, it’s her exceptional commitment to high standards that exemplifies her grit and that makes her the inspirational leader she is. An extraordinary string of painful personal challenges have strewn her path over the past couple of years, and not one of them has kept her from carrying the mantel of leadership with fortitude, humility and good humor.
I see her resolve mirrored in the staff as well. Her example says, “This is how you handle difficulties.” And employees follow her lead when they face misfortunes of their own. She shows us what backbone is all about and how to be resilient. That’s grit.
All winners have it. Grit carries you through the long spell of practice and preparation necessary to hone your skills and gain the knowledge you need to reach your goals. It’s what gets you past the inevitable obstacles. It keeps you in the game when the game gets tough. It pushes you past setbacks and failures. It’s the currency that lets you pay the price to win the prize. And today, I celebrate and applaud it.
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