GRIT and Candidates at West Point

Identify the behaviors that truly drive results.

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When you are looking at your organizational chart, job roles, and culture, what consistently demonstrated behaviors truly drive results?  

Leadership Tools: What Behaviors Best Predict Success. Grit by Angela Duckworth.

Angela Duckworth has been studying the differences in achievement and she has boiled it down to a single major differentiating factor - GRIT.  The discipline to stick with something until it is complete without losing motivation.

Her simple 10 question “Grit Scale” was a better predictor of which candidates would make it through West Point’s first phase of training than their complex “Whole Candidate Score” system.

Peak Learning has an “Adversity Quotient” test for applicant screening

Jocko Willink constantly talks about discipline versus motivation as the foundation for achievement.  

Look at your top performers.  

  • How would you rate their grit?  
  • How well do they continue to focus and execute even when things are going poorly?
  • How would you rate your own?
  • What do you do to improve your own grit and that of your team?  

This is a trait that is like a muscle and can be built with disciplined practice and coaching.  




Lean Principle - People First (Then Process and Tools)
To optimize productivity, a contractor must focus on their people first, then processes and tools including technology as an integrated management system with a hierarchy. This is not a linear process: S.M.A.R.T. Experiments + Continuous Improvement.
Integrating Constraints and Strategic Targets
Available talent, capital, and work in the market are the basic constraints every contractor must work within. Understanding and managing all three better each year is the foundation of sustainable growth.
Can't Learn to Swim Without Getting Wet
Most everything we learn to do in the field for construction comes down to hands-on practice. When we move people into supervision and management roles we often forget the need to truly practice hands-on to get great at doing something.