Earlier this year, I ran across an interesting article on the most important attribute for career success. What would you imagine it to be?
If you ask the general public, intelligence is widely believed to provide the greatest advantage when it comes to business success. Certainly, it is an important attribute for a business owner to have. But, the psychologist whose work was the focus of the article found that intelligence is not nearly as important as a characteristic she calls “grit.”
Psychologist Angela Duckworth had studied high achievers for several years in her efforts to understand exactly what made them so successful. When pressed to describe what she meant by grit, Duckworth said it’s a combination of persistence and passion.
In other words, people with grit love what they do and do whatever it takes to get the job done. To my way of thinking, that is as sure a path to career success as exists. Not coincidentally, it describes the mindsets of the most successful entrepreneurs I have had the pleasure of meeting.
Passion, Perseverance
If we accept passion as an important aspect of grit (and I think we should), we need to consider the source of that passion. I believe entrepreneurs are passionate because they invest so much in their work lives.
A business owner is not just punching a clock; the business’s performance is a direct (although sometimes imperfect) reflection of the owner’s presence and efforts. His or her beliefs, ideas, worries, inspirations and perspiration are all tied to the business and reflected in business results.
Many owners I know are passionate about generating good results because of the personal sacrifices they make for the growth of their businesses. They are competitive about generating good results as a means of validation. They also believe in the notion of legacy. By building successful businesses, they hope to make the world a better place. Building businesses that provide opportunities for employees is a great way to do so.
The quality I most admire in entrepreneurs is their perseverance. Duckworth describes high achievers as being unusually resilient and hardworking. I cannot think of a successful entrepreneur who does not possess those characteristics in abundance.
Perseverance goes beyond what is commonly thought of as resilience and hard work. It’s a mindset of never giving up even when everything seems to be working against you. A never-quit attitude is a fantastic leadership quality. Any setback is seen as a temporary obstacle to be overcome. Overcoming obstacles large and small is the only way to improve the business over the long haul.
An entrepreneur who can instill that kind of attitude in the workplace has a real chance of building a business that is focused on continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is often rewarded with financial success and opportunities for growth. That’s the kind of business most employees hope to find one day.
To discuss how your business can encourage the development of grit-filled employees, give Trillium Financial a call at (404) 353-2148 or email us