The strongest predictor for success | Angela Lee Duckworth

TED

30 Apr 202103:08

Summary

TLDRThe transcript explores the concept of grit as a key to success in various challenging environments, such as West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, and the corporate world. Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, and it is more predictive of success than social intelligence, physical health, or IQ. The study in Chicago public schools showed that grittier students were more likely to graduate. To cultivate grit, the transcript suggests the 'growth mindset' concept by Carol Dweck, which posits that learning ability can be developed through effort. The importance of testing ideas and being open to failure to learn and improve is also emphasized.

Takeaways

🧐 The key to success is not just the ability to learn quickly but also involves other factors.
🎓 The speaker conducted studies across various challenging environments to determine the traits of successful individuals.
🤔 The research team visited West Point Military Academy to predict cadets' persistence in military training.
🏆 They also studied the National Spelling Bee to see which children would advance the furthest in the competition.
💼 In partnership with private companies, they sought to identify which salespeople would be most successful.
🌟 Grit emerged as a significant predictor of success across all contexts studied.
🔥 Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, requiring stamina and consistent effort over time.
🏛️ A study in Chicago public schools showed that grittier students were more likely to graduate, even when controlling for other factors.
👨‍🏫 The concept of 'growth mindset', developed by Carol Dweck, is suggested as a way to build grit in children.
🧠 Growth mindset is the belief that learning ability can change and improve with effort, which can help children persevere through failure.
🛠️ The speaker emphasizes the need for testing and measuring our ideas to build grit, acknowledging the possibility of failure and learning from it.

Q & A

What is the key factor that the speaker found to be a significant predictor of success across various challenging settings?
-The key factor found to be a significant predictor of success is grit, which is defined as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.
What does the speaker define as 'grit'?
-Grit is defined as having stamina, sticking with your future day in and day out, and working hard to make that future a reality over a long period of time.
Which institutions did the speaker's research team visit to study success?
-The research team visited West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, and partnered with private companies to study success in different contexts.
What was the speaker's approach to predicting success at the National Spelling Bee?
-The speaker's approach was to try to predict which children would advance farthest in the competition by observing their characteristics and behaviors.
What was the surprising finding when the speaker studied grit in the Chicago public schools?
-The surprising finding was that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even when matched on other measurable characteristics like family income and standardized test scores.
What is the 'growth mindset' and how is it related to building grit in kids?
-Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed and can change with effort. It is related to building grit because it encourages kids to persevere when they fail, believing that failure is not permanent.
Who developed the concept of 'growth mindset' and where is it associated with?
-The concept of 'growth mindset' was developed by Carol Dweck at Stanford University.
What does the speaker suggest as a way to build grit in kids?
-The speaker suggests 'growth mindset' as a way to build grit in kids, as it helps them understand that the brain can change and grow in response to challenge.
What is the speaker's call to action for educators and parents in terms of building grit?
-The speaker calls for educators and parents to take their best ideas and intuitions, test them, measure their success, and be willing to fail, learn, and start over.
Why is it important to measure the success of ideas aimed at building grit in kids?
-It is important to measure success to ensure that the methods used are effective and to learn from any failures, allowing for the refinement of strategies to better support the development of grit in kids.
How does the speaker emphasize the importance of perseverance in the face of failure?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of perseverance by highlighting the growth mindset concept, which teaches kids that failure is not permanent and that they can improve with effort.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Power of Grit in Success

The script introduces the concept of grit as a key predictor of success, surpassing traditional indicators like social intelligence, physical health, and IQ. The author's research across various challenging environments, including West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, and corporate settings, consistently finds grit to be a significant factor. Grit is defined as the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, the ability to maintain stamina and stick to a vision over years, not just weeks or months. An example of grit's impact is given through a study in Chicago public schools, where grittier high school juniors were more likely to graduate despite controlling for other factors like family income and standardized test scores.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Grit

Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. It is the ability to maintain stamina and stick with one's future over extended periods, working hard to make that future a reality. In the video, grit is identified as a significant predictor of success across various challenging settings, such as West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, and in the workplace. The concept of grit is central to the video's theme, emphasizing that it is more important for success than traditional measures like I.Q., social intelligence, or physical health.

💡Success

Success in the context of the video is not merely about achieving a goal but about the characteristics that predict who will achieve it. The speaker's research across different settings aimed to identify the factors contributing to success, ultimately finding that grit was a key predictor. Success is portrayed as a result of sustained effort and the right mindset, rather than innate talent or intelligence.

💡Passion

Passion, as part of the concept of grit, refers to a strong emotion or enthusiasm towards a long-term goal or pursuit. It is the driving force that fuels an individual's commitment and effort over time. In the video, passion is highlighted as an essential component of grit, which is linked to the ability to persevere and achieve success in various domains.

💡Perseverance

Perseverance is the quality of continuing in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little progress. It is a key aspect of grit, as it involves maintaining effort and interest over time without giving up. The video emphasizes that individuals with grit are more likely to persevere through challenges and setbacks, which contributes to their eventual success.

💡Stamina

Stamina, in the context of the video, refers to the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. It is a crucial element of grit, as it allows individuals to keep working towards their goals without succumbing to fatigue or burnout. The speaker mentions stamina as a characteristic that successful individuals possess, enabling them to endure the long haul.

💡Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. It is a concept developed by Carol Dweck, which posits that learning and intelligence are not fixed traits but can be improved with effort. In the video, the growth mindset is presented as a strategy for building grit in children, as it encourages them to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles.

💡Challenge

Challenge, in the video, refers to difficult tasks or obstacles that individuals must overcome in their pursuit of goals. The speaker's research involved studying individuals in various challenging settings to understand who succeeds and why. Challenges are presented as catalysts for growth and development, particularly when individuals adopt a growth mindset and exhibit grit.

💡West Point Military Academy

West Point Military Academy is used in the video as an example of a super challenging setting where the speaker's research team attempted to predict which cadets would complete their military training and which would drop out. It serves as a context to illustrate the importance of grit in environments that demand high levels of physical and mental resilience.

💡National Spelling Bee

The National Spelling Bee is mentioned in the video as another context where the speaker's research team tried to predict which children would advance farthest in the competition. It exemplifies a different kind of challenge, focusing on intellectual ability and the role of grit in achieving high levels of success in such competitions.

💡Salespeople

Salespeople are used in the video to illustrate a professional context where the speaker's research aimed to determine which individuals would keep their jobs and earn the most money. This context highlights the applicability of grit in various fields, including business and sales, where success is often tied to performance and resilience.

💡Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools is the setting for the speaker's study on grit in high school juniors and its correlation with graduation rates. The study found that grittier students were more likely to graduate, even when controlling for other factors like family income and test scores. This example underscores the relevance of grit in educational settings, especially for at-risk students.

Highlights

Success in school and life is not solely dependent on the ability to learn quickly and easily.

The speaker conducted studies across various challenging settings to determine the factors of success.

Research included predicting cadet retention at West Point Military Academy.

The National Spelling Bee was used to predict which children would advance the farthest.

Partnerships with private companies to predict job retention and earnings among salespeople.

Grit emerged as a significant predictor of success across different contexts.

Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

Grit involves stamina and sticking with one's future over extended periods.

A study in Chicago public schools showed grittier kids were more likely to graduate.

Grit's importance was confirmed even when controlling for factors like family income and test scores.

Grit is crucial not only in competitive settings but also in school environments, especially for at-risk students.

Parents and teachers seek advice on building grit in children.

The concept of 'growth mindset' is suggested as a method for building grit.

Growth mindset is the belief that learning ability can change with effort.

Dr. Carol Dweck's research shows that understanding the brain's adaptability can foster perseverance.

The importance of testing ideas, measuring success, and being willing to learn from failure is emphasized.

The need for further research and the application of best practices in building grit is highlighted.