Grit is a better predictor of long-term success than talent, intelligence, or even opportunity.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to this week’s edition of Career Catalyst.
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina.”
— Angela Duckworth"
Grit is a better predictor of long-term success than talent, intelligence, or even opportunity.
But what is it?
Psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s what keeps people moving forward when motivation runs out, when things don’t go to plan, and when progress is slower than expected.
In career transitions, leadership development, and business building, (or any field of life) grit is the difference between people who start strong and those who finish strong.
Try This Out
Everyone has some grit.
Think of a time in your career or life when things got tough.
Maybe it was a job search that took months longer than expected. Or a new role where you felt out of your depth. Or a project that demanded far more than you anticipated.
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What made you keep going?
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What mindset shift helped you stay on course?
If you were mentoring someone today, what lesson would you pass on from that experience?
What can you learn yourself from this?
Everyday Insight
I’ve coached people at all stages of their career - from those who’ve just been made redundant to CEOs facing major transformation.
The consistent theme among those who make it through is this: they don’t always know the perfect next step… but they keep moving forward anyway.
They:
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Don’t get discouraged by “no”.
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Don’t let slow progress shake their belief.
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Don’t over-identify with short-term setbacks.
They trust that showing up consistently will get them where they want to go - even if it’s not overnight (which it never is for worthwhile achievements).
That’s grit. And it’s far more important than a perfectly optimised CV or a supercharged LinkedIn profile.
How to Use Your Grit
You don’t need to be extraordinary to succeed.
You need to be consistent.
That means:
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Set a clear goal (see last week's post).
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Break it into small, repeatable actions.
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Keep going when it’s uncomfortable or unrewarding in the short term.
It’s in the moments when progress is invisible that real growth is happening.
So if you’re navigating change, remember this: you don’t have to feel ready - you just need to keep going.
➡️ Know someone who needs to hear this?
Forward this email to a friend—or share it on LinkedIn.
Let’s help more people turn grit into long-term success.
Please let me know how it goes!
Best wishes, Stephen
Thanks for reading. If you have an interesting insight feel free to share it in the comments section.
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