The Importance of Grit

What matters more, talent or perseverance? 

In today’s corporate world, the race is for talent; to attract it and keep it. And there is wisdom there. In our experience economy you need talent spanning a broad spectrum. 

But what matters most to us as individuals? From an early age we’re pressured to get good grades, attend a sterling university. Teachers and coaches measure and scrutinize our talent level.

How many of us have heard we’re too “this” and not enough of “that" for something, like a sport, school, or position?

In my position, I come in contact with people who possess amazing talent. But I also hear stories, similar to my Dad’s, about men and women who’ve worked hard at something and never gave up. Their determination propelled them to success. 

I’ve been reading Angela Duckworth’s excellent book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She says, “Our potential is one thing, what we do with it is quite another.” 

It’s the idea that talent alone will not always ensure success. It’s how we use the talent we’ve been given. If I possess talent in the area of management, for example, but I give up easily when things get hard, then who cares how much talent I have.

What counts is perseverance. 

My dad stands out to me as a person who possessed a lot of grit.

The early days of his family business saw their fair share of obstacles, including one of his restaurants burning down.

Dad received a call on February 24, 1960 that the Forest Park Dwarf House was on fire. You can imagine the stress. But things actually got worse. The next day he had to deal with a major health crisis. 

He was in the hospital for more than two weeks and totally out of the restaurant. Dad said that his employees took charge while he was away. They pulled a cook-wagon onto the site, erected a tent, and were once again serving food under their sign: “The world’s best hamburgers in Forest Park.”     

What did dad do after the fire?

He wasn’t sure he wanted to rebuild the same type facility so he built a temporary Dwarf House on the foundation of the original building and this time they divided the space so his sister Gladys could operate a gift shop.  

He could have let that event deter him. But he didn't. He stuck to his vision. And I'm glad he did. Chick-fil-A exists today because of decisions like that; to not give up, to keep after it.

That’s grit. 

He used to say, “No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.” I see it quoted often, and for good reason. Whatever the goal or project, proceeding with care and confidence means sticking to it no matter what.

Why? Because you believe so much in what you're doing that you simply won’t quit. 

You can have all the potential in the world, but if you lack perseverance—the grit it takes to see it through, then what good is your talent. 

The world is full of people who possess unique and special talent. But not everyone has grit. I want to be that person. Do you? 

Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash