When we look at successful people, we often tend to attribute their achievements to natural talent. We see a top manager, a successful entrepreneur, a programmer, a scientist, or an athlete and assume that they possess exceptional abilities they were born with. The belief that talent is the main gateway to success still persists in society. Many studies suggest that people who achieve above-average results often do not differ from others because of extraordinary abilities, but because of something much more practical – grit.
What exactly does grit mean?
The word grit is most commonly translated as perseverance, resilience, or determination. In reality, however, it represents much more than simply the ability to endure. Grit is the ability to continue putting in effort even when results do not appear immediately. It is not just about working hard for a few days or weeks. It is about long-term perseverance, discipline, and the determination to keep going despite obstacles, failures, or a loss of motivation.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth defined grit as a combination of two key elements:
- long-term commitment to pursuing a meaningful goal,
- the ability to continue despite obstacles, setbacks, and frustration.
Imagine a person who decides to learn a new language. The first weeks are usually filled with enthusiasm. The student buys textbooks, watches videos, and imagines how they will soon communicate fluently. After several months, however, reality sets in. Progress slows down, more complex grammar rules appear, and motivation begins to decline.
It is precisely at this moment that the difference between short-term enthusiasm and grit becomes clear. A person with developed perseverance continues even without the initial excitement. They understand that meaningful results are achieved gradually over time.
Why do we often overestimate talent?
One of the reasons why we overestimate talent is the so-called visibility effect. We see the result, but we do not see the process behind it. When we watch a successful speaker at a conference, we see a confident performance. We do not see hundreds of hours of preparation, dozens of unsuccessful presentations, or years of gaining experience.
When we read a book by a successful author, we see the final product. We do not see the countless rewritten pages, rejected manuscripts, or doubts experienced during the creative process. When we observe an experienced manager, we see the ability to make decisions under pressure. We do not see the years spent learning from mistakes and challenging situations.
People naturally tend to underestimate effort and overestimate innate abilities. This can lead us to the incorrect conclusion that success is determined primarily by talent.
Research that changed the way we view success
In her research, Angela Duckworth sought to understand why some people achieve their goals more often than others.
She studied various groups, including students from prestigious universities, cadets at the West Point military academy, sales professionals, athletes, and participants in national competitions. The results were surprising. In many cases, talent, intelligence, or previous experience were not the strongest predictors of success. A much more accurate indicator was the level of perseverance. People with higher grit scores were more likely to complete demanding programs, achieve better results, and recover from setbacks. In other words, success did not always belong to the most talented people. It belonged to those who kept going.
Grit and growth mindset
The concept of grit is closely connected to the theory of the growth mindset, popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck. People with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence and abilities are fixed traits. When they struggle with something, they often interpret it as evidence of a lack of talent. In contrast, people with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed through learning and practice. They do not view failure as a final verdict, but rather as an opportunity to improve. This way of thinking supports the development of perseverance. When we believe that we can improve, we are more motivated to continue even after setbacks.
Why grit matters in a career
The modern job market is changing faster than ever before. Technology, artificial intelligence, automation, and globalization are transforming many professions or causing some of them to disappear entirely. At the same time, new career opportunities are emerging that require continuous learning and development.
In such an environment, relying only on knowledge gained during formal education is no longer enough. The ability to learn throughout life has become a key competence. This is where grit plays an important role. A person who can persevere while developing new skills has a significant advantage. They are not discouraged by the initial difficulty but gradually build their expertise. The most successful professionals are often not the most talented ones. They are the people who are willing to dedicate years of consistent effort to their personal and professional growth.
How to develop perseverance
The good news is that grit is not an innate trait. It can be developed systematically.
1. Set a meaningful goal: People persevere longer when they see a deeper purpose behind their work. That is why it is important to understand why you want to learn something or achieve a particular goal.
2. Break large goals into smaller steps: Big challenges can feel overwhelming. Smaller tasks provide a sense of progress and help maintain motivation.
3. Build habits: Successful people do not rely solely on motivation or mood. They create routines that allow them to keep moving forward even on days when they do not feel like it.
4. Learn to work with failure: Every failure contains valuable feedback. Instead of asking, “Why did I fail?”, it is often more useful to ask, “What can I learn and do better next time?”
5. Celebrate progress: Perseverance grows when we recognize how far we have already come. Even small achievements deserve attention.
6. The future belongs to those who persevere: In the past, one education could often serve a person throughout their entire career. Today, this model no longer works. The world is changing too quickly. Success will increasingly depend on the ability to adapt, learn, and develop new skills. This requires not only knowledge but also personal qualities and character.
Perseverance is becoming one of the most important competitive advantages. It enables us to continue growing even in times of uncertainty, change, and obstacles.
Grit in online education
Online studying offers enormous opportunities. It allows people to study alongside their jobs, family responsibilities, or business activities, while at the same time requiring a high level of self-discipline. Unlike traditional education, it often lacks a fixed schedule, physical presence of a teacher, or pressure from classmates. The student is largely responsible for their own progress.
That is why perseverance is one of the most important factors for success in online studying. Students who develop regular habits, manage their time effectively, and are able to continue even during challenging periods achieve significantly better results than those who rely only on temporary motivation.
For professionals studying while working, grit is often more important than intellectual ability alone.
Conclusion
Grit reminds us that success is not only about talent, but above all about perseverance and the willingness to continuously work on ourselves. The ability to learn, develop new skills, and keep going despite initial obstacles has become one of the most valuable competitive advantages today.
If you want to advance your career, strengthen your managerial skills, or invest in your personal development, further education can be the right step. MBA programs at CEMI, as well as other study programs, offer the opportunity to develop your potential flexibly alongside your career and transform perseverance into tangible results.
