Grit, determination, persistence: The value of long-term effort in developing talent

By Rick Grbavac An article by science and tech writer Jonah Lehrer in the online Boston Globe describes studies that point to the fact that grit and perseverance are better predictors of success than intelligence.  I found it interesting that, because IQ is relatively quick and easy to identify, researchers focused their attention on raising IQ and disregarded focusing on values of long-term development of talent. Carol S. Dweck, psychologist at Stanford University, has said, ” One of the most important elements is teaching kids that talent takes time to develop, and requires continuous effort.” She refers to this as a “growth mindset.” Dweck compares this view with the “fixed mindset,” the belief that achievement results from abilities we are born with. “A child with the fixed mindset is much more likely to give up when they encounter a challenging obstacle, like algebra, since they assume that they’re just not up to the task,” says Dweck. “..talent takes time to develop, and requires continuous effort.” If you want to develop the high-performing organization, it is not done with the fire hose approach.  It takes some time to develop the skills, grit and determination to be successful. Lehrer goes on to say that praise for determination, trying, effort and grit are much better in the long run rather than praising for intelligence.  This research has great relevance for our education system and for our business talent development.  It also supports Cerebyte’s drip approach to becoming great at just about anything.]]>