The dark side of 'grit' at work

 

According to Angela Duckworth, the author of the book of the same name, ' grit' is the essential ingredient of success. 

She tells us that success is independent of talent or even intelligence. Instead, it depends on intensely focusing on a goal with passion and perseverance.

The concept of 'grit' gained significant traction after the release of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance in 2016, which swiftly became a New York Times bestseller. Her TED talk, which has amassed over 13 million views, further solidified this concept in the corporate world. 

Angela Duckworth states, 'We need to have an unrelenting belief that our business and ideas will defy the statistics and become the success story that we have always strived to achieve.' 

She also quotes the popular children's author, J.K. Rowling: 

"Anything is possible if you've got enough nerve."

This 'gritty' worldview is particularly pertinent to startups and entrepreneurs, who often have to have logic-defying self-belief to continue in the face of adversity.

However, finance professor and author Alex Edman highlights that such views are also prone to cognitive biases. 

In his book 'May Contain Lies,' he shows how many influencers, such as Angela Duckworth, Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Steve Bartlett, 'cherry-pick' data to make their points. 

It's relatively easy to take ten or even a hundred cases of success and identify one common theme. But that is using hindsight, confirmation, and/or survivorship bias.

What about all the startup founders who had 'grit' but failed? Let's face it—four out of five startups do fail. Were all their founders not 'gritty' enough?

Therefore, I disagree.

Secondly, 'grit' has a dangerous side. It encourages us to push ourselves beyond reason, sense, or health. 

I have a very personal example of this. I had a substance abuse problem in my teens and 20s, and I sought help for it. I have been 'in recovery' since then. Perhaps more than most I have often seen the dark side of 'grit' in my life.

• A talented startup founder who destroyed himself by pushing too hard and not getting the mental health help that he badly needed (2013).

• A successful TV news journalist who has won numerous awards. A close friend, he passed away in 2021 from an alcoholism-related illness.

• One of the top tax lawyers in the country, who I 'sponsored' for a time. He relapsed and died aged 58.

• Kate Spade, founder of the luxury handbag brand, committed suicide in 2018 at age 55. I don't think her problem was lacking grit.

• My uncle was pushed out of his job as CEO of a company in a family coup orchestrated by his father. He killed himself shortly afterwards, leaving a wife and two three-year-old children (twins).

Indeed, in my own experience, I have noticed a link between gritty, 'giving it 110% culture', and toxicity at a company.

That's not to say that I reject the idea of 'grit' or becoming more resilient at work. 

On the contrary, pushing myself within healthy limits is useful. But, as the philosopher Aristotle says, success lies in moderation. 

However, part of that effort is recognizing that resilience or 'grit' is not a solo effort. Resilient employees generally work in an environment that supports them, such as one that is trusting and psychologically safe. 

Indeed, we can all display 'true grit' healthily in the right environment with the proper support.

Below: During World War II, researchers from the Center for Naval Analyses studied the damage to returned aircraft after missions. 

They then recommended adding armour to the areas with the most damage to minimize bomber losses to enemy fire.

But they forgot Survivorship bias; the planes that were fatally hit and never returned. 

Thus, they failed to protect the most vulnerable areas of the plane.

How many people have been fatally damaged by too much grit? Angela Duckworth never mentions them. She only mentions the success stories.

When I was first sober at the start of my career, I often felt bombarded with corporate messages about needing 'to go the extra mile' to achieve success. 

Often, I felt isolated at work because I didn't want to drink or wanted to avoid situations that were unhealthy for my mental health. 

However, I got sober in the 1990s, when there was almost zero respect for or accommodation made for non-drinkers and much stigma around substance abuse and those who did not drink. 

Luckily, the work environment has improved and become more inclusive and accepting of differences than when I began my career.

Nevertheless, a lot of the conversations I now read about 'Mental health at work' are still jarring to me. Mental health washing is massive right now in the corporate world. 

Everyone wants to get in on the action, no matter how insincerely. 

Also, Those that promise quick fixes to solving mental health issues or problems with work culture. 

They seem inauthentic and 'corporate' in the worst sense of that word.

Yet, I connected remarkably with one talk: Josh Graff, Head of LinkedIn UK's mission to 'bring your whole self to work'.

He was talking about coming out as gay in the workforce. 

It worked just as well for my situation!

After all, being gay, and having substance abuse problems were once both stigmatized. Neither are 'moral failings,' as used to be thought.

Having seen so many accomplished and talented professionals not only suffer in their careers, but actually die, I am confident that I have made the correct judgment calls by prioritizing my mental health at work for all these years.

If you want to learn more about how the grit or 'willpower' approach to combatting addiction is destined for failure, check out this video by Yale Medical School.

I admire the work of my friend Marc Lewis, a Professor of Neuroscience, who investigated the science of addiction alongside his personal journey with substance abuse.