This is part of our series on books that have positively impacted our lives and careers. Check out all of the books we review by following us on social media or see our previous reviews summarized here.
Grit by Angela Duckworth
I was once lucky enough to work on a sales floor with roughly 100 other salespeople. 100 other reps, selling in comparable territories, doing the exact same job I was. And during my time in this position, I was obsessed with one question: how come those who outperformed me were able to outperform me?
It wasn’t hours in the office – one guy left at 4:00 pm on the dot, daily. And, there is no good way to share this but I have to anyway – it wasn’t intelligence, either. So what was it?
They did the behavior. Every day. Period. They out-behaved me. I would “grit-out” 30 calls. They’d do 40. I’d do 40, they’d do 50. Grit.
In our society, we tend to over-credit talent and intelligence. And why not? It’s a nice, warm place for those of us who have not achieved the exceptional to hide. Elon Musk? No wonder he’s changing the world. He’s brilliant! Oprah? No wonder she’s a billionaire. She’s so talented! In Grit, Angela Duckworth takes a deep dive into society’s best kept “secret” on how to overachieve. It's easy - just don’t give up.
