Grit

Angela Duckworth

Overview: In her work amongst the grittiest professionals, Angela Duckworth, recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship award, had something to prove. Growing up, her scientist father would taunt her intelligence, often claiming she would never be a genius. Duckworth exposes her philosophy of “Grit” through various paragons of those she feels exude the grit components: passion and perseverance. Her journey begins with an inside look into West Point’s “Beast Week”, applying her Grit Scale to determine who will be successful, and who will be unsuccessful. Grit, is more than talent, IQ, or any of the other determining factors most individuals associate with success. Grit can be found in the professional football player, a contestant in the National Spelling Bee, a parent, teacher, editor, leader, and more. Do you have Grit?