Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2022 - 47

It's safe to say that the past two years of
the pandemic have been a roller coaster,
especially in the workplace. From the
shift to a hybrid workforce, to constant
mandate revisions and return-to-office
strategies, to The Great Resignation,
leaders have had to stay on their toes
and expect the unexpected.
The pace of change and uncertainty
isn't likely to slow down anytime soon.
In fact, the Harvard Business Review
anticipates that as hybrid and remote
work continue to be the norm, employee
turnover will also continue to increase.
Plus, thanks to new COVID variants
making headlines,
it's impossible to
predict what the future holds.
There's an old saying that you don't know
your mettle until it's tested by fire, and I
think we can agree that executives and
organizations have been tested. Some
have been able to adapt and adjust to
the perpetual flow of curveballs. They've
visualized success despite chaotic times
and they've led their organizations
through uncertain waters toward
success and sustainability. We've also
seen the stress of chaos strain leaders,
overwhelm their resources and take
them down.
What determines if an executive will sink
or swim during chaotic times? One might
assume its intelligence, experience,
personality or luck that enables success.
For certain, all those things help - yet
the
single
defining
success is GRIT.
THE COVETED
CHARACTERISTIC
OF SUCCESS
GRIT is the superpower of high achievers.
It is a personal characteristic that enables
sustained, consistent effort toward a goal
when one struggles, falters or temporarily
fails. It is the propeller that moves us
forward, regardless of circumstances.
More than intelligence, talent or
emotional intelligence (EQ), GRIT is the
trait that separates good leaders from
great ones. It is the growth lever we can
draw on to achieve, expand and repeat
success, making it an essential trait for
all leaders pursuing excellence.
characteristic
BREAKING DOWN THE
CATEGORIES OF GRIT
GRIT is comprised of four main elements:
Growth Mindset, Resilience, Initiative
and Tenacity. When these categories
are combined, transformational results
are possible. Here's a brief overview of
each element:
Growth Mindset
Growth mindset is the fuel that gets us
through the rough journey ahead. It's the
belief that the most basic abilities can be
developed through dedication and hard
work. Many of us start out with a fixed
mindset, operating as though the status
quo is inflexible and there's not much we
can do to change the parameters. It's a
limiting belief system that stunts growth
and prevents opportunities from being
visible and therefore actionable.
Moving from fixed to growth mindset
begins with a valid assessment of where
you are on the spectrum. Observing
your thought patterns, think about
your internal dialogue and listen to the
language you use with others. Assess
the balance between limited and growth
mindset thoughts. If you aren't happy
with the balance, challenge yourself to
shift perspectives and consider multiple
possibilities for any given situation.
of
Remember that cultivating a growth
mindset is a process, not a destination. It's
a habit that must constantly be practiced.
Resilience
More likely than not, you've been building
and depleting this resource throughout
the roller coaster of the past two years.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back
from a tough challenge, to traverse a
difficult time without imploding and to
emerge in a similar or better state (mental,
physical, emotional, etc.). It is a reactive
trait that we need before we know it, so
it's best to actively build a reserve. Like
growth mindset, resilience is a muscle
Just like a bicep, it can be built over time
to incredible strength - and it can be
weakened from under- or overuse.
Resilient leadership is contagious. When
leaders remain calm, focused, optimistic
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
A GROWTH
MINDSET IS
THE FUEL
THAT GETS
US THROUGH
THE ROUGH
JOURNEY
AHEAD.
and grounded during a crisis, it has a
profoundly calming effect on the team or
organization, enabling high productivity
and low attrition compared to leadership
that responds to challenges with low
resilience and high emotionalism.
Initiative
Initiative is about overcoming inertia
and taking action in pursuit of a goal.
You simply cannot have GRIT without
initiative. Change and uncertainty can
be paralyzing, and many executives
unintentionally slow down decision
making, second guess their choices and
get caught standing still for too long.
Once inertia sets in, it drains resources
and it becomes more difficult to maintain
a growth mindset and act with resilience.
Initiative is the spark plug of success. To
activate it, start with minor decisions and
actions that lead to small wins. Create
micro deadlines so you can focus on a
few tasks that move you toward a goal
in steps. As you start the process of
meeting small goals, the psychology
of achievement kicks in and you will
find
yourself
feeling more optimistic
and moving toward the goalpost with
increasing speed. The key is to keep
moving forward. Pretty quickly, you'll
see how those micro deadlines add up
to some pretty incredible results.
| 47
https://hbr.org/2022/01/11-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2022-and-beyond https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine
Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2022

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