What Is Grit?

I can still recall how AirAsia Group CEO Mr. Tony Fernandes mentioned in one of our boardroom meeting for one fo the episodes in "The Apprentice Asia" that I didn't have the strongest candidate record that would make me hired as an apprentice. I had 4 wins and 4 losses, served as project manager only once, and was called back thrice in the “bottom three.”

I'd like to think that I was consistently good, but clearly didn’t have the best record. Runners-up like Andrea Loh and Alex Bauduin gave superior performances than I did.

With this in mind, many people often ask me with a tinge of doubt: how did you best the 11 others? Was it luck?

I’d say "yes" to this, partly — winning the toss-coin in the finale bestowed me the power of “first pick” over Andrea when choosing my teammates and auction items. Was it because I was the smartest? I seriously suspect that Sam Nallaraj from India was way smarter than I was (Miss you, Sammy!). Was it having the best, most expensive educational background? My parents couldn't afford that. Longest work experience? Clearly not when I was among the youngest!

If it was not IQ, work experience, or rich parents, what then helped me win "The Apprentice Asia"?

My secret weapon: Grit

For me, it was grit. There was nothing else I wanted in my life that time but to become the first Asian apprentice. All the other candidates were gritty for sure, but I’d like to think I was blessed to be the grittiest.

I chanced upon "grit" after watching this popular TED Talk over YouTube by a psychologist, Dr. Angela Duckworth (I highly recommend you watch her video). She defined grit as “passion and perseverance for very long term goals” and “….sticking with your future day-in and day-out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality.”

For me, grit is a non-intellectual trait of having that undeniable passion to pursue your dream. No matter how many times you fall down, you get up and pursue it. Dr. Duckworth concluded in her studies that grit was positively associated with success.

For example, “grittier” military students were more likely to stay in training after their first summer. “Grittier” novice teachers who taught in poverty-stricken schools were likely to stick with their jobs by the middle of the year. “Grittier” kids who joined spelling-bees performed better than their less gritty competitors.

Difference between grit, passion and motivation

Let me clarify, though, that grit is different from passion, motivation or drive. A writer can be passionate to publish a best-selling book, but without the discipline to finish it, she will fail. A town mayor can be forever inspired to solve the traffic in his city, but without political will to execute unpopular decisions for the good of majority, he will fail.

I’ve seen many talented friends who did well in school but fell short in their careers because they did not follow through; they became complacent. They got stuck with falling in love with their ideas but didn’t execute them. This is what separates successful people from the rest (even if they may not be smart or privileged): they have grit.

People with grit stick it out until they finish the race.

Now, say it with me, grit. Say it again please this time with some pressure on the “i”: griiiit. Good. Now you must be feeling grit like I do.

'From Grit to Great'

I’d like to think that my victory in "The Apprentice Asia" was a Cinderella story of grit.

I don’t think I was the smartest, nor the most good looking (okay, this statement is debatable, but I’ll let this slip for now haha) among the candidates. I won because, no matter how many times I thought I’d be fired, I continued fighting.

By the 4th week, I was exhausted from waking up too early and sleeping too late at night. I was getting homesick. I knew I didn’t need to prove to the world how good I was as a marketer by exposing my potential failures in this TV show. Quitting was the logical thing to do. But I didn’t.

Every failure was an opportunity for me to become stronger. I remembered the people who inspired me in my life, and I told myself that this race wasn’t just for me but for the people who were rooting for me to win. I just had to do it.

Grit don't cost a thing

The beauty of it all is that the same thing goes with life: anyone can succeed as long as he has grit.

Unfortunately, you don't buy grit in the nearest convenience store, nor do you inherit it from your parents — you have to discover and cultivate it as you grow.

Some people gain grit from painful experiences (in my case, I sourced my grit from two things: my longing to improve my family’s humble beginnings when I was younger, and my longing to avenge myself after being dumped from a 1-year-old relationship a few months before I joined "The Apprentice Asia"!).

Some people also gain grit by obsession and passion (I was such a big fan of "The Apprentice" since I was in college, it was a dream come true to join it!). There are many ways to find your grit and surely, in one way or another, you can find yours, too. 

You don’t need to be an Einstein, a supermodel, or royalty to win in life’s battles. What you need is grit.

*If you’d like to know more about grit and take a free online test to measure how “gritty” you are, you may access Dr. Duckworth’s site.

#grit #inspirational #leadership #motivation

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