Several years ago, psychologist Angela Duckworth triggered national interest when she shared research findings on grit in a well-viewed TED talk. With the use of pointed survey questions that gauged a test subject\u2019s likelihood of giving up in the face of distractions or other obstacles, Duckworth and her team tried to predict who in West Point\u2019s entering class of freshman would make it through the rigorous pre-training period and who among National Spelling Bee contestants would advance to later rounds of the competition.<\/p>\r\n
Duckworth discovered that the people who were successful were not those with the highest IQs or other competitive advantages; rather the people that pressed on through challenges to arrive at successful outcomes had something she defined as \u201cgrit.\u201d Grit is the quality that makes a person stick with a task and follow through on long-term goals even when obstacles mount. Grit, in Duckworth\u2019s words, is \u201cperseverance and passion for long-term goals.\u201d<\/p>\r\n