Grit and the Hero
Grit is defined as passion and perseverance. In the world of Jungian Archetypes, The Hero may personify the gritty person.
Working in an organization or group that gets along well and functions like a “well-oiled” machine is an absolute pleasure. It is a joy to come to work in the morning when everyone is on the same page, there is a lack of drama, and people get along.
Most agree that this environment is essential to professional and organizational success and well-being. The stress one must carry when the group or organization doesn’t get along can literally kill.
Organizational culture, a group’s shared values and behavior, or “how we do things around here,” impacts our behavior and is part of the organization’s success or failure. Our behavior and the stories we bring to the organization also affect its success. The places we work have a meaningful impact on our lives, personally and professionally.
Our stories, or what we believe about ourselves, or as Carl Jung would call them, our Archetypes, show up in all our interactions with people. Some of these archetypes (there are twelve of them) can provide positive interactions. Still, they can also be a source of angst and friction if overdone.
Having recently re-read parts of Angela Duckworth’s book GRIT, I wondered what type of Archetype shows up in a person with a lot of GRIT. The assumption is that GRIT is a good virtue that can help you succeed professionally and personally. And if you can be gritty, you can be a sustained “winner.”
Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied the idea of GRIT extensively and has learned that without passion for something and the ability to pursue it relentlessly, “GRIT” doesn’t exist. Based on her work, she has determined that GRIT is the combination of passion and perseverance.
She has studied countless situations, companies, and organizations to develop her concept about GRIT, and they have applications for creating and maintaining organizational culture.
The primary assumption I am proposing is that GRIT is essential when developing a positive organizational culture. The culture we experience in our community, at home, and at work shapes who we are. It determines much of our behavior. Indeed, our subconscious behavior is also shaped by what we believe to be true. Our early upbringing and influences often shape these beliefs; however, as we become adults, the culture we experience is just as crucial in influencing our behaviors.
Which Archetype supports a GRIT personality? Can you have GRIT when you score high as Innocent, Explorer, or other Archetype descriptions? Or is GRIT a manifestation of a different Archetype? Does your organization or business support a “Gritty” Culture?
Duckworth states, “If you want to be grittier, find a gritty culture and join in. If you are a leader and want people in your organization to be grittier, create a gritty culture.”
Sociologist Dan Chambliss has studied swimmers and “belonging culture” for many years. He says, “There’s a hard way to get grit and an easy way. The hard way is to do it yourself; The easy way is to use conformity — the basic human drive to fit in — because if you’re around many people who are gritty, you will get grittier.” It would then be easy to assume that if you are around many people who aren’t gritty, then you will have a more challenging time developing that virtue.
Over time, “the way we do things around here” becomes “the way I do things around here,” according to Duckworth.
The Finnish concept of Sisu is closely related to GRIT and featured in Duckworth’s book. The literal translation of Sisu is “gut” or “intestines.” Metaphorically, it means having a sense of fortitude, energy, and perseverance in the face of a potentially losing cause. Fins points to the 1939 Russian-Finnish War as a national or collective Sisu example.
Emilia Lahti, a researcher of Siisu from Aalto University in Helsinki, says about Sisu, “We all have these moments when we all need to reach beyond what we think we are capable of. At the end of physical, emotional, and psychological endurance. And then we have some kind of force that allows us to continue even when we thought we couldn’t.”
The Hero Archetype fits the Sisu ideal. The Hero has strength and skills in a given area with the will and desire to succeed and endure. The Hero shows assertiveness, can set and achieve goals, and has strong beliefs. The Hero has a can-do spirit that energizes self and others. At high levels, the Hero is competing, struggling, fighting for the good of the fight, and undertaking duty for the family, organization, community, or country.
Reading the history of the “Winter War,” one can sense the Hero Archetype permeating the country of Finland in their fight against the Soviet Union in 1939. The country and the military of Finland, without a doubt, showed up as the Hero. Today, we can assign the Hero Archetype to the country of Ukraine. They have indeed personified the Hero archetype or Sisu.
Ultimately, GRIT is a worthwhile value for an individual or an organization. Are you gritty? Do you have the right combination of passion and perseverance? Is your orgainzation fulfilling its mission effectively? Do you need a dose of GRIT?
The good news is that GRIT can be attained and developed at any age. Because we all can reach down and bring to the surface our Hero Archetype, we can become grittier. We can align our passions with perseverance and get the job done.
Note:
GRIT — The Power of Passion and Perseverance is a book I consider in my top ten books I have read for business and leadership. It is rich with stories, anecdotes, data, and usable material that the reader can use and apply personally and professionally. I highly recommend it.
