GRIT CREATES SMARTS From the prenatal period to the end of our lives what shapes the neural circuits underlying our behavior is experience. This can include such uncontrollable influences as adversity, as well as such intentional influences as learning and training. The human brain displays amazing plasticity–the ability to modify neural connectivity and function–even into our 70s. The smartest people in business are not those who have the highest g; they are those who regularly put themselves in situations requiring grit. These acts of courage accelerate learning through adaptation. For example, salespeople who make more calls will almost always outperform salespeople who make fewer calls. That’s no surprise, but here’s the key point: This doesn’t happen just because the act of making more calls mathematically raises the chances of success. There’s much more to it. By facing up to the task of making a call, frequent callers put themselves on a faster learning curve. They discover more rapidly what works and what doesn’t. They’re quicker to learn techniques that overcome rejection. Thus, their success yield will improve–i.e., double the calls, triple the sales. The act of making lots of calls also helps a person learn self-discipline and understand the rewards of delayed gratification. In the real world it’s grit that makes us smart.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 19:05:18 +0000
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