Full transcript
Hello and welcome to LEAD — Leadership Enablement and Development, a new initiative from Nirvedha. This is the show for leaders, all about leadership and its impact. And on this episode: have you ever wondered about the key differentiators of being a leader? That's exactly what we are going to help you with on this week's show, where you will learn a key differentiating factor — grit — and how you as a leader can develop it. I'm your host Sudhakar, a certified executive cum business coach.
We learn critical leadership competencies throughout our life. However, these abilities never become set in stone. They can change, and by intentionally attending to our development, we do become better leaders.
We may have this question: how and when do people change? People learn and develop when what they want to change matters profoundly and will affect them both personally and professionally. In other words, people can become better leaders and can change long-held patterns of behaviour. It is beautifully said that significant professional growth without personal transformation is impossible. This may be because leadership abilities are tied to patterns of behaviour related to self-image, relationship skills, and even worldview.
Most people understand what a leader is supposed to be doing. They know the job, what it entails. They scan the environment, they build a strategy, they organise, they execute, and they also manage resources to get the job done. However, far fewer people understand how to lead. How to mobilise energy in people, teams and other groups. How to inspire and motivate through hope, vision, meaning and purpose. How to increase productivity while also releasing people's talent, creativity and resilience. How to build a resonant culture that calls for everyone's best.
What are the factors that impact a leader? Amongst many differentiating factors, I feel grit is one of those which certainly makes a leader stand out.
What is grit all about? Simply defined, grit is your passion for following your long-term goals. However, as with most things, aspiring to show grit and inculcating it in life are two different things. Developing grit requires you to have sight of the bigger picture at all times. Your long-term goals provide meaning to your short-term activities. It is a trademark of great leaders. Even in the face of the worst adversaries, they keep themselves motivated by visualising the long-term goal. Their calm persona in the face of a daunting challenge often rubs off on the other members of their organisation, and that establishes their position as the real leader.
No one doubts the significance of grit in a leader's portfolio. The question is how to develop grit to be a successful leader.
According to Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence — she calls that grit. This holds for anyone striving to succeed: a parent, a student, an educator, an athlete or a business person. She goes on to ask: why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research, Angela explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. She has found that grit — a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal — is the hallmark of high achievers in every domain. She has also found scientific evidence that grit can grow.
I am so much moved by these two equations in the book that offer a simple proof of why grit trumps talent. The first equation goes like this: talent multiplied by effort equals skill. The second equation goes like this: skill multiplied by effort equals achievement. If I had to put it in one phrase, it says: effort counts twice.
By now you might have come to know the power of grit and how it can differentiate a leader. Now let us see how grit can be a key differentiating factor for a true leader.
What differentiates a winner from a loser? While talent translates into success many times, it is not always the case. There are countless examples of highly talented people falling short of their goals. Parallel to them are the examples of individuals with average skills who have managed to reach the high heights of success. It is a contrast that has intrigued the most advanced researchers and leaders. Those who say they have figured out the deciding factor say that it is grit which makes the difference between the two individuals.
Now you're wondering: how can leaders develop grit? As an executive coach, I always advise my coachees to begin with defining their purpose. Unless you have a deep love for what you are doing, building leadership grit would be tough. A clear purpose helps you in every action and brings out the best from your associates too. Clarifying this purpose to your staff further contributes to integrating the team and encourages them to hand-hold each other whenever needed. Your mission can be personal, and may only be precious to you. However, as long as you are true to it, it would boost your leadership skills adequately well.
Another piece of advice I pass on is to be competent. Your urge to get better must never expire. Talent is often overrated and leads to the downfall of people. There is no dearth of talented individuals in the world. However, not all of them can achieve success. Talent would only get you so far. What would decide your future is your competency and zeal to succeed. Always working to get better is what develops the grit needed in a leader. Resting on your past laurels is a recipe for disaster. There are still thousands of people vying for your position. The only thing that can stop them from dethroning you is your grit. So don't overlook it.
Thank you all for tuning in.