Thank You, Angela: Grit—What I Thought vs. What It Is

By Thiag Loganathan

Thank you, Angela Duckworth, for your book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," and thank you, Cooper, for recommending this book. It's been a long time since a book moved me like that. While I thought I had a good sense of what "grit" was and how gritty I am, this book revealed a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what grit truly is. It's not just an innate trait—Angela Duckworth offers an incredible framework for helping others develop it. One of the key takeaways for me is recognizing that there’s a deeper level of grittiness I need to bring into my own life if I want to reach my goals.

Hunicorns: Are change agents born with it?

By 2020, I had come to believe that certain individuals are change agents—human unicorns—and are uniquely equipped to solve big problems and change the world. I defined these “Hunicorns” as possessing these key traits:

The X-Factor: Grit

After reading Grit, I’ve refined my Hunicorn model. The fifth trait is no longer the vague "X-Factor," it is Grit. Duckworth’s insights provide a clear framework for understanding grit, its development, and its critical role in personal and professional growth.

The book is filled with revelations, and one of the most impactful for me was the emphasis on ‘Deliberate Practice’ and the need to build a consistent routine. We’ve heard from many voices that it’s all about the journey, but it’s also about embracing the hard work and the grind along the way. The more we train ourselves to find joy in the work and the process, the higher our chances of reaching our destination and the further we can go. What I can’t emphasize enough is how much I’ve learned about grit—how to measure it, the different levels of it, how to improve it, and even how to influence others' grit.

The insights from Grit have not only deepened my personal understanding but also sparked a broader reflection on how grit can be developed at scale to drive meaningful societal change. Recognizing that a culture of grit can be cultivated, we see powerful examples in Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks (It helps that I’m a huge Seahawks fan 🙂), the Finnish concept of sisu—a national spirit rooted in perseverance—and West Point, where generations of resilient individuals are shaped. These instances raise a compelling question: Why can't we foster grit on a larger scale, across our communities, and empower people to embody this unyielding determination?

Change a Billion Lives: Poverty to Progress

How do we help people overcome poverty through government assistance? This is what I aspire my life’s work to be.

We had designed our pathways out of poverty by considering the challenges different personas would face and the key factors that would determine how much time and resources it would take for individuals and families to escape poverty. While we recognized grit as a significant influencing factor, a critical assumption was that people either had grit or they didn't, and thus, our focus was on gritty individuals.

However, the realization that grit can be developed and influenced fundamentally changes everything. A mentor and a supportive community can have a profound impact on a person’s grit. This insight will allow us to evolve our approach, creating models that support a wider range of vulnerable populations, ultimately helping us achieve the mission of our lives.

Thank you, Angela Duckworth. Your Grit is a life-changing book—not just for me, but for many others we plan to influence through our mission. How long and how much of an impact can we make?