Sometimes You Have To Get Gritty!

I read Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit” several years ago and have revisited parts of it regularly since. Her words resonate with me because I’ve always been a hard worker. In fact, my dad once said of me, “What she lacks in smarts she makes up for in hard work.” I don’t think Dad meant, in any way, that I wasn’t smart. He was just pointing out that I like to work hard. I’m not sure if it is a compliment. In fact, I’ve been striving to "work smarter, not harder."

But there is something about having “grit” that I find intriguing. Why do I tend to take on tasks/projects that seem bigger than life? Perhaps I have a constant need to prove my worth. Or, perhaps, I’m attracted to doing things that only a small percentage of people have done. I think I like the discipline required to be ready. I think I like accomplishing enormous tasks that no one else would take on.

A Few Examples Where I Had to Dig Down Deep and Show Grit

• I’ve trained for five marathons and completed three. According to Marathon Handbook, only 0.17% of the population has run one marathon. I’m confident that the number who have run three marathons is far less than 1/3 of 0.17%.
• I completed the CPA Exam. Several decades ago, when I took the CPA exam, the percentage of those who passed all four parts was less than 20 percent. I would imagine the number of people who have even tried relative to the total population is less than 0.5%.
• In the photo above, I am off-trail backpacking in Snowmass Wilderness. Why not just stay on the trail like everyone else? It’s hard enough that way, why make it harder. I only went off trail for 24 hours. It was adventurous.

Leadership in Gritty Times

Grit is the ability to persevere. It is the ability to dig down deep and find the motivation and strength to give more.

Chances are you will need to find grit to complete a project in the workplace. If you are working with others on this project, bring light and grace to the grit faced by all. Let others feel your encouragement more than your concern. Surprise your team members with genuine words of encouragement.

As a leader, I’m in the habit of asking my team members to express their needs to me so I can be more supportive. I once had a team member say to me, “Push water and bread under my door, and I’ll get it done.” That was his way of telling me he would need words of encouragement, appreciation, and affirmation. I once had a team member say to me, “How should I reprioritize the work currently on my plate to take on this ask?” I think this team member needed acknowledgment that being overwhelmed is hard. Also, this team member was smart to seek my input on priorities.

Expecting grit from yourself is one thing. Demanding it from others requires emotional intelligence. We all have grit, but we may all have different levels of grit on specific tasks. Develop your emotional intelligence to lead your teams through those gritty times, and you’ll find they will respect you. The days of saying “suck it up, buttercup” or “if you don’t like it, find another job” are long over. Replace those thoughts with words of respect and grace for your team members. Communicate with them regularly so they don’t feel alone. And listen to them. Often those in the trenches have great ideas that would result in more efficient and effective results.

Please subscribe to this newsletter to be certain you won't miss a future edition.

• Need executive coaching to be a better leader? I am still accepting new clients for 2024.
• Need a keynote speaker? I still have availability in 2024 quarters 2, 3 and 4.
• I invite you to grow your financial acumen with my LinkedIn Learning courses.

?

About the Author:

Denise currently holds the position of a full-time accounting professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in financial accounting and financial statement analysis. In addition to her role in academia, Denise serves as a LinkedIn Learning Instructor, offering five courses designed to help individuals enhance their financial acumen skills at their own pace. Her expertise extends to executive coaching, where she focuses on empowering leaders to build confidence in utilizing data for informed decision-making.

Before joining the University of Colorado, Denise showcased her leadership abilities in senior roles at Kaplan Professional and Wiley Publishing. These experiences allowed her to refine her skills as a leader, setting the foundation for her current endeavors in education and coaching.

I hope you follow me on Instagram as well.