Why grit, not talent, is the key to progress
The shiny, sometimes overwhelming walls of LinkedIn tell daily tales of success, reward and satisfaction. In reality, this is all the tip of a giant professional iceberg – one that’s very much held up by periods of uncertainty – and even failure. Resilience is one word for it, but ‘grit’ is our favourite.
Why? If talent is what gets us started, grit is what moves us forward. Just the way the word sounds feels tough; unbreakable even. You’ve got to love an adjective with powerful onomatopoeic feels.
Whether you’re a creative maestro, a data wizard or an expert at winning people over in record time, it’s likely raw talent that got you started on your professional journey. Those euphoric, “ah ha!” career moments? Talent too, probably. But what about those sticky situations we face every day that, frankly, can grind us down at times? You know them; managers that don’t give you credit, clients whose demands feel impossible, projects and dreams that just don’t progress in the way you want – right?
Talent won’t withstand the toughest tests
Setbacks are inevitable, no matter how smoothly you sail through most of the tasks thrown at you. And while talent gets us so far, grit is what sees us through the long game. Grit comes from enduring life’s experiences and learning from them. It’s also about understanding that we don’t all begin from the same place, that life isn’t fair, and the working world far from straightforward.
So what’s behind the making of those gritty, often quietly steely people we admire? We spoke to a few about what having grit means to them.
Believing in a bigger plan
Louise Stephenson, founder of wellness community TwoPoint0 and host of the Failing to Succeed podcast, attributes her gritty nature to her knowledge that there is a bigger plan at play. For her, taking a zoomed-out approach is helpful to staying confident and enjoying the ride:
“We’re supposed to make mistakes, try stuff and learn. It’s all part of the process. It’s important not to judge the things that don’t go to plan, and not to be too attached to an outcome.”
Louise Stephenson, TwoPoint0 Founder
With a roster of podcast guests who have failed (then succeeded) to achieve big things, multiple big-brand project management clients plus a wellness business of her own, Louise knows a thing or two about staying resilient and bouncing back!
Pushing through and embracing the journey…
From trusting the process, to confronting challenges head on: Teddy Ludmer is building strategic partnerships for global payment experts, Tipalti. Originally from Canada, she moved to London 11 years ago and spent months shed-surfing (she’ll tell you!) before transitioning from account management to partner building and relocating to Leamington Spa.
“Grit means pushing through something that is tough or challenging – persevering and tackling what comes your way. To me, it’s definitely a type of mindset or attitude.”
For Teddy, it’s a mindset that has seen her through multiple relocations and from advertising to FinTech. She’s risen to the challenge of building a partnership network to be envied, as well as becoming a key voice in the sector. Work in partnerships? You’ll probably want to join one of her ever-popular networking events…
Perseverance is a familiar friend to Caroline Marshall too, founder of Virtual Assistant outsource platform Upsource, and host of the Bump to Baby Owner podcast.
Caroline’s gritty side emerged during her childhood years and hasn’t gone anywhere. As she tells us, “I really wanted to perform, even though I was awful at first. There’s an embarrassing video my cousin has of me dancing as a kid, but I stuck with it, and eventually, I got better. I even got healthier from it. I even got to perform at amazing places like the Royal Albert Hall, and flew to New York too.”
…but knowing when to quit
Caroline is keen to highlight that whilst having grit is a positive thing, it has a dark side too. She recognises this in both her professional and personal endeavours:
“Singing was, for a long time, what I wanted to do professionally – but when I lost my joy with it I kept it going for years afterwards. I knew I didn’t want to do it anymore but I was too stubborn to accept that… then felt HUGE relief when I finally did let it go.
Caroline Marshall, Upsource Founder
The same goes for the job I had when I returned to work after my first child. There were so many red flags, but I stuck with it. In the end, I got made redundant.
The key takeaway from this experience? That having grit is important, but knowing when to walk away is just as crucial.”
Feeling inspired and just a tad more determined? Us too. Whether you’re a fledgling founder, in your C-suite era or somewhere in between, everyone’s got a story. No story without adversity is worth listening to, though; and that’s what makes tales of grit so beautiful.
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