Development

The Very Gritty Road to Success

Grit — not intelligence or talent — is the best predictor of success.

Unknown-1Grit, as defined by social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson, is “a willingness to commit to long-term goals and to persist in the face of difficulty.” Even if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it, according Halvorson, who will be the Opening General Session speaker at the 2014 PCMA Education Conference. “People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don’t have the innate abilities that successful people have. If that describes you, well, there’s no way to put this nicely: You are wrong,” Halvorson writes in her short, powerful book, 9 Things Successful People Do Differently, based on a very popular Harvard Business Review blog post.

Effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed, she adds. To be successful and truly make the most of your potential, it’s critical to examine your beliefs, and when necessary, challenge them. Change really is always possible and the science here is crystal clear.”

Barbara Palmer

Barbara Palmer is senior editor and director of digital content.