20.) The Grit Gap
The Grit Gap
“We are a team with depth. We need to make sure that we work hard for everything we want to have”. How many business leaders have had this thought? Given that most organizations struggle with strategy execution, I’d say that most leaders share the sentiment of Tomas Monten, the coach of Sweden’s junior hockey team who was feeling the sting of the heart-breaking loss to Canada in the 2017 world junior championship final. His insight?…. the thin margin between victory and defeat often comes down to skills that do not officially show up on the score sheet……like team grit.
Having worked with over 300 senior leaderships teams, I agree with Monten. Leadership teams that win at fully executing their strategic plans are gritty. Their dedication and stick-to-itness includes talking about their behaviours….. more effective and less effective. Giving and…. just as important, receiving feedback is a part of their team culture. They have the tough conversations. AND they encourage each other just like honking geese who work extremely hard at executing their V-formation …. Why? Because they fly further… using the same energy.
So the next time your team reviews its strategic capabilities, include a discussion on team grit. Ask these 3 questions:
1. What does team grit mean to us and how important is it to our success?
2. How much grit do we have and how much more is needed?
3. What SPECIFICALLY will be done to close the grit gap? By whom and by when?
Make it happen…..fly further!
