Every time I think about grit, that ”it” factor some people have that propels them towards -success, I envision Jeff Bridges running dozens of cinematic miles carrying Hailee Steinfeld across a field because their horse has died… in the remake of True Grit.
To tell you the truth I would probably do that, given the right situation. I could carry (drag) my much larger son across a field in a life or death situation. However, there are some situations in which I’m frankly not that gritty.
I’m not really gonna push through the barriers of tech challenges; not really gonna persevere through frustrating pivot tables and V-lookups. If poor Hailee’s survival is dependent upon my deft handling of Excel – Hailee is in trouble.
Nevertheless, I would still describe myself as gritty…..and there is a reason why.
The Fundamental Attribution Error.
The Fundamental Attribution Error is a double standard we employ when it comes to the actions of others. We blame circumstances for our own mistakes, but individuals for theirs.
See, if I can’t carry Hailee, well, since I’m so gritty, it must be because it’s too hot; or there is no water and I can’t rehydrate; or Hailee isn’t helping and I had to do it all alone. However, if Hailee can’t run – then the problem must be Hailee. Hailee clearly isn’t gritty enough.
I’ve seen this play out in office environments; employer/employee relationships, performance reviews and the politics of promotions. Not all the time, but it happens.
One of the harder things to do as a leader is find a place where a person can lean into their natural tendencies and shine. We want someone to fill a role because we have a need. When someone has a need to work, they want to fill a role.
If a person is not in the right place – in a job and maybe, in your life – it can look like the person is flawed when, really, they are just not standing in their spotlight.
This is just one of the things I’m working on at this stage in my life and one of the things I’m helping clients with.
Are you working on shifting a paradigm these days?