Do you have the grit it takes to be successful?
Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, once said, “Let me tell you the secret that has led to achieving my goals: My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”
Pasteur would have approved of Grit to Great by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. According to the authors, individuals with grit – guts, resilience, initiative, and tenacity – have a distinct advantage. GRITty people throw away their security blankets, learn to embrace uncertainty, and ultimately triumph over adversity and setbacks.
These women should know. Through their personal grit, Thaler and Koval grew a fledging start-up into a billion-dollar New York agency whose clients included Proctor & Gamble, Pifzer, Citi, and Aflac. Stories and examples of just how they achieved this are featured in Grit to Great. I highly recommend this insightful book because the basic principles – the ingredients of grit – are applicable to everyone. Here is a small sampling of those ingredients taken from the book and my comments on each:
Linda Kaplan Thaler/Robin Koval: It starts with guts. Grit begins with the courage to take on a tough challenge, and not falter in the face of adversity.