Leading with GRIT: Inspiring Action and Accountability with Generosity, Respect, Integrity, and Truth

Introduction

Ask yourself what is really important, and then have the wisdom and courage to build your life around your answer.

—Lee Jampolsky

We've all worked at places we dreaded going to every day: jobs where we didn't feel valued, trusted, or heard; places devoid of trust, effective communication, and true motivation. In workplaces like these, loyalty goes out the window, little work gets done, and everyone looks out for themselves. Meanwhile, as we suffer, so does the quality of the product or service we're providing. Ultimately, no one is happy. We feel taken advantage of, overwhelmed, and helpless to make changes, and our employer is frustrated by the lack of productivity of his employees. When experiencing these feelings, most of us will gossip rather than communicate openly, blame others rather than examine our own behavior, make assumptions rather than ask for clarification. These behaviors are at the root of a toxic workplace. We may get instant gratification from belittling our coworkers or supervisors, but such behavior doesn't solve the problem and may actually create new ones. Workplaces like these are full of people who feel miserable, stuck, and unappreciated.

This particular form of unhappiness—workplace misery—generates big business. Movies have been made about it; hundreds of books offer counsel on it. Thousands, if not millions, of people have been told to picture their bosses while throwing punches in kickboxing class, and the initials T.G.I.F. have spawned ...