THE FOUR INGREDIENTS OF GRIT

The following is the four ingredients of grit as outlined by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval in their book "Grit to Great." There's a lot of great passages in this book to share with a team or an organization including this one:

Failure is how we learn -- it's how we develop and acquire grit.  From our own experiences, and those of the countless successful people we have worked with across a wide array of industries, from writers and CEOs to lawyers and Broadway performers, we can say it is grit that got them, and us, where we are.  Our research and experience tell us that grit can be broken down into four essential components:

Guts -- Grit begins with the courage to take on a tough challenge, and not falter in the face of adversity.  General George S. Patton famously defined courage as "fear holding on a minute longer."  Guts is what gives you the confidence to take a calculated risk, to be daring (without being reckless).  Guts is about putting yourself out there, declaring your intention to triumph, even if victory appears to be nowhere in sight.

Resilience -- Some of the world's most notable high achievers have flunked or dropped out of school, been fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, or dealt some other major setback that forced them to hit bottom.  But they bounced back.  Jerry Seinfeld got booed off the stage during his first stand-up gig.  It took three attempts before Stephen Spielberg was accepted by a film school.

Initiative -- By definition, initiative -- being a self-starter -- is what makes grit dynamic, what sets it in motion.  Leaders are often judged by their ability to take the initiative.

Tenacity -- Tenacity is the relentless ability to stay focused on a goal.  This is perhaps the most recognizable trait associated with grit...tenacity requires industriousness and determination.