Too Much of a Good Thing?

100 percent. Anyone conducting survey research knows that's an impossible statistic. Yet, when asked—324,584 individuals from 53 countries, ages 17-76—"When you think of the kind of person you want to be, the kind of people you want to hire or be around, the kind of contribution you want to make, the kind of enterprise you hope to grow...what matters more the quantity or the quality of grit?", 100 percent, usually with some notable verve, respond, "Quality!" Without exception.

Source: PEAK Learning, Inc.

Stunning. But virtually every person recognizes that while grit is essential, the wrong brand of grit can be detrimental, if not down right dangerous. The GRIT Pit is real. Research supports their intuition.

First, I want to recap for you, my reader and colleague, that, with heartfelt respect for my esteemed colleagues who've more recently added their thoughts to grit-related constructs, I firmly differentiate between grit and GRIT. Like most scholars and professionals, starting more than 20 years ago, I initially assumed grit was synonymous with tenacity, perseverance, persistence, relentlessness, fortitude, and so on. Yet, our independent studies conducted by lead researchers working for the Educational Testing Service and Boston College affirmed that GRIT truly is comprised on Growth, Resilience, Instinct, and Tenacity (see prior bogs). So, to avoid confusion, and for the purposes of this blog, I will henceforth go with GRIT.

Source: Dr. Paul G. Stoltz

In a recent series of GRIT sessions conducted for the top multinational companies in Southeast Asia, I asked participants to write down the name of the worst leader they've ever experienced or know of. I then asked them to rate that leader on strength or quantity of GRIT based on the various facets of GRIT, which are measured through the GRIT Gauge®. Overall, those leaders were score in the top decile. (Note from KT - this last sentence needs help...)

Source: Dr. Paul G. Stoltz

Then we had them rate these leaders on the qualitative aspects of GRIT, which we also measure on the GRIT Gauge®. These include "Good" versus "Bad" GRIT, which assesses the actual effect—intentional or unintentional—one has on others, as one pursues one's difficult, long-term goals. Also included was "Dumb" versus "Smart" GRIT, which is about the effectiveness, more than the sheer magnitude of one's efforts.

Invariably, their "worst leaders" scored radically lower on their quality versus their quantity of GRIT, usually in the bottom quartile on at least one qualitative dimension. And, each participant cited this qualitative weakness not as a mere correlation, but the actual cause of that leader being chosen. In other words, the wrong brand of GRIT can lead to the worst kind of person and most disappointing results.

Source: PEAK Learning, Inc.

Here are five simple questions to help you avoid the GRIT Pit:

Q1—In what ways do, or could my current efforts and behaviors elevate and benefit those affected?

Q2—In what ways might the way I'm going after my goal(s) be unintentionally hindering or harming those affected?

Q3—What tweaks can I make to the goal itself to make it even more compelling and worthy?

Q4—What tweaks can I make to my goal path or strategy to accelerate and/or enhance my chances of success?

Q5—Specifically, how can I demonstrate "Gooder" and "Smarter" GRIT?

Let these questions haunt you, and you can radically up the chances you shift from anyone's "worst" to the "best" list on anything and everything that truly matters.

Source: PEAK Learning, Inc.