GRIT and Candidates at West Point

Identify the behaviors that truly drive results.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

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 - Understanding Lean Construciton
Lean is a body of knowledge dating back hundreds of years focused on sustainably growing an organization. During the last 20 years the construction industry has been rapidly adopting some of these tools to improve productivity.
COVID - End of Week 5
As we end the 5th week since the first shelter-in-place orders, the country will begin to re-open. This will be uncertain and frustrating for contractors. Guidelines will change daily and won't be consistent by state, county, city, company, or contract.
COVID - End of Week 3
It’s the end of week 3 since the Bay Area was the first to issue shelter-in-place orders on Monday, March 16th. A few days later, on March 19th, California followed as a state, and by the end of that weekend another 5+ states followed. What's next?