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TedtalkbyAngelaLeeDuckworthWhenIwas27yearsold,Ileftaverydemandingjobinmanagementconsultingforajobthatwasevenmoredemanding:teaching.IwenttoteachseventhgradersmathintheNewYorkCitypublicschools.Andlikeanyteacher,Imadequizzesandtests.Igaveouthomeworkassignments.Whentheworkcameback,Icalculatedgrades.WhatstruckmewasthatI.Q.wasnottheonlydifferencebetweenmybestandmyworststudents.SomeofmystrongestperformersdidnothavestratosphericI.Q.scores.Someofmysmartestkidsweren’tdoingsowell.Andthatgotmethinking.Thekindsofthingsyouneedtolearninseventhgrademathsure,they’rehard:ratios,decimals,theareaofaparallelogram.ButtheseconceptsarenotimpossibleandIwasfirmlyconvincedthateveryoneofmystudentscouldlearnthematerialiftheyworkedhardandlongenough.Afterseveralmoreyearsofteaching,Icametotheconclusionthatwhatweneedineducationisamuchbetterunderstandingofstudentsandlearningfromamotivationalperspective,fromapsychologicalperspective.IneducationtheonethingweknowhowtomeasurebestisI.Q.,butwhatifdoingwellinschoolandinlifedependsonmuchmorethanyourabilitytolearnquicklyandeasily?SoIlefttheclassroom,andIwenttograduateschooltobecomeapsychologist.Istartedstudyingkidsandadultsinallkindsofsuperchallengingsettingsandineverystudymyquestionwas:whoissuccessfulhereandwhy?MyresearchteamandIwenttoWestPointMilitaryAcademy.Wetriedtopredictwhichcadetswouldstayinmilitarytrainingandwhichwoulddropout.WewenttotheNationalSpellingBeeandtriedtopredictwhichchildrenwouldadvancefarthestincompetition.Westudiedrookieteachersworkinginreallytoughneighborhoods,askingwhichteachersarestillgoingtobehereinteachingbytheendoftheschoolyearandofthosewhowillbethemosteffectiveatimprovinglearningoutcomesfortheirstudents?Wepartneredwithprivatecompanies,askingwhichofthesesalespeopleisgoingtokeeptheirjobs?Andwho’sgoingtoearnthemostmoney?Inallthoseverydifferentcontexts,onecharacteristicemergedasasignificantpredictorofsuccess.Anditwasn’tsocialintelligence.Itwasn’tgoodlooks,physicalhealth,anditwasn’tI.Q.Itwasgrit.Gritispassionandperseveranceforverylong-termgoals.Gritishavingstamina.Gritisstickingwithyourfuture,dayinanddayout,notjustfortheweek,notjustforthemonth,butforyears,andworkingreallyhardtomakethatfutureareality.Gritislinglifelikeit’samarathon,notasprint.Afewyearsago,IstartedstudyinggritintheChicagopublicschools.Iaskedthousandsofhighschooljuniorstotakegritquestionnairesandthenwaitedaroundmorethanayeartoseewhowouldgraduate.Turnsoutthatgrittierkidsweresignificantlymorelikelytograduate,evenwhenImatchedthemoneverycharacteristicIcouldmeasure,thingslikefamilyincome,standardizedachievementtestscores,evenhowsafekidsfeltwhentheywereatschool.Soit’snotjustatWestPointortheNationalSpellingBeethatgritmatters.It’salsoinschool,especiallyforkidsatriskfordroppingout.Tome,themostshockingthingaboutgritishowlittleweknow,howlittlescienceknowsaboutbuildingit.Everydayparentsandteachersaskme“HowdoIbuildgritinkids?WhatdoIdototeachkidsasolidworkethic?HowdoIkeepthemmotivatedforthelongrun?”ThehonestanswerisIdon’tknow.WhatIdoknowisthattalentdoesn’tmakeyougritty.Ourdatashowveryclearlythattherearemanytalentedindividualswhosimplydonotfollowthroughontheircommitments.Infact,inourdata,gritisusuallyunrelatedoreveninverselyrelatedtomeasuresoftalent.Sofar,thebestideaI’veheardaboutbuildinggritinkidsissomethingcalled“growthmindset.”ThisisanideadevelopedatStanfordUniversitybyCarolDweck,anditisthebeliefthattheabilitytolearnisnotfixed,thatitcanchangewithyoureffort.Dr.Dweckhasshownthatwhenkidsreadandlearnaboutthebrainandhowitchangesandgrowsinresponsetochallenge,they’remuchmorelikelytoperseverewhentheyfailbecausetheydon’tbelievethatfailureisapermanentcondition.Sogrowthmindsetisagreatideaforbuildinggrit.Butweneedmore.Andthat’swhereI’mgoingtoendmyremarksbecausethat’swhereweare.That’stheworkthatstandsbeforeus.Weneedtotakeourbestideas,ourstrongestintuitionsandweneedtotestthem.Weneedtomeasurewhetherwe’vebeensuccessfulandwehavetobewillingtofail,tobewrong,tostartoveragainwithlessonslearned.Inotherwords,weneedtobegrittyaboutgettingourkidsgrittier.(866w)