Grit to Great: How Perseverance, Passion, and Pluck Take You from Ordinary to Extraordinary

Description

It is not native intelligence or natural talent that makes people excel, say Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval-it's old-fashioned sweat equity and hard work It is not native intelligence or natural talent that makes people excel, it's old-fashioned hard work, sweat equity,and determination. In Grit to Great, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval tackle a topic that is close to their hearts, one that they feel is the real secret totheir own success in their careers--and in the careers of so many people they know and have met. And that is the incredible power ofgrit, perseverance, perspiration, determination, and sheer stick-to-it-tiveness. We are all dazzled by the notion that there are somepeople who get ahead, who reach the corner office because they are simply gifted, or well-connected, or both. But research shows thatwe far overvalue talent and intellectual ability in our culture. The fact is, so many people get ahead--even the gifted ones--because theyworked incredibly hard, put in the thousands of hours of practice and extra sweat equity, and made their own luck. And Linda and Robinshould know--they are two girls from the Bronx who had no special advantages or privileges and rose up through their own hard workand relentless drive to succeed to the top of their highly competitive profession. In a book illustrated with a cornucopia of stories and the latest research on success, the authors reveal the strategies that helpedthem, and countless others, succeed at the highest levels in their careers and professions, and in their personal lives. They talk about theguts--the courage--necessary to take on tough challenges and not give up at the first sign of difficulty. They discuss the essentialquality of resiliency. Everyone suffers setbacks in their careers and in life. The key, however, is to pick yourself up and bounce back. Drawing on the latest research in positive psychology, they discuss why optimists do better in school, work, and on the playingfield--and how to reset that optimistic set point. They talk about industriousness, the notion that Malcolm Gladwell popularized with the10,000-hour rule in his book Outliers. Creativity theorist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes it takes a minimum of 10 years for one's truecreative potential to be realized. And the authors explore the concept of tenacity--the quality that allows us to remain focused and avoiddistraction in order to get the job done--an increasingly difficult task in today's fragmented, cluttered, high-tech, connected world. Written in the same short, concise format as The Power of Nice and leavened with the natural humor that characterizes Linda's andRobin's lives--and books--Grit to Great is destined to be the book everyone in business needs.

Linda Kaplan Thaleris an Advertising Hall of Fame luminary and creator of many of the industry's most iconic campaigns, including Kodak Moments and the hilarious Aflac duck. Linda was the co-founder and CEO of the Kaplan Thaler group, which quicklybecameone of America's fastest growing ad agencies. She is currently Chairman of Publicis Kaplan Thaler, and the coauthor of several national bestsellers, including Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, The Power of Nice, and The Power of Small. She lives with her family in New York City. Robin Koval is the CEO and President of the Truth Initiative, the national public health foundation dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco and the creators of the award winning and life-savingtruth youth tobacco preventionprogram. Robin is also a leader in the world of advertising and marketing. She is a co-founder of the Kaplan Thaler Group, creators of the Aflac Duck and many other well-known campaigns, and was CEO of its successor, Publicis Kaplan Thaler.She is the co-author of three other best-selling books- The Power of Nice, The Power of Small, and Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World. Robin lives with her husband in Washington, D.C.

"You don't need to be brilliant or incredibly talented to become hugely successful. But what you do need is to read this book. Grit to Great teaches us all how to develop our grit quotient so almost any goal is possible." -James Patterson, bestselling author, former CEO of J. Walter Thompson "An insightful guide to achieving success in work and life, filled with real-life stories, tools and techniques that can help us all live with more passion, perseverance and resilience." - Arianna Huffington "You need GRIT to get great, and this book succinctly tells you how to do it. There's no sugar coating: Thaler and Koval tell it like it is because they've used grit to achieve great success themselves. I recommend it." - Mark Sanborn, bestselling author of The Fred Factor "Grit to Great reminds us that every day is an opportunity to set new goals and challenge ourselves in different ways. With grit, no matter our age or whether we've accomplished prior goals, there are countless reasons to keep moving forward and enormous, often unforeseen rewards to be reaped in the process." - Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association "Don't walk, run to get your copy of Grit to Great. It's chock full of good sense, insights, and useful advice that can make just about anyone feel they can succeed." - Diana Aviv, President and CEO, Independent Sector "Losing weight and staying fit are hard work. Grit to Great helps give you the tools to make your goals a reality and be the best you can be." - Florine Mark, President & Chairman of the Board of The Weight Watchers Group, Inc. "In Grit to Great, Linda and Robin offer the insight, knowledge, and life lessons that can help propel you to the next level. Their determination to succeed has had direct tangible benefits for many iconic brands, including Aflac. Their 'grit' has led to another remarkable book that lays out in straightforward fashion what it truly takes to be successful." - Dan Amos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aflac "Thaler and Koval have written a very valuable book. Their insights and anecdotes on the importance of hard work, perseverance, and character provide timeless lessons that will resonate with their readers - from the senior executive to the summer intern." - Gail McGovern, President and CEO, The American Red Cross "In Grit to Great, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval remind us that it takes much more than a diploma or high pedigree to be successful. It takes equal parts hard work, determination, pluck, and a willingness to confront adversity and failure head-on. . . Grit to Great is a celebratory tribute to the great American success story." - Abraham H. Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League "Looking for a real secret to success? It's not just who you know. It's about determination, tenacity, hard work and, above all, grit. Grit to Great by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval combines solid, usable advice with engaging stories to create a near-perfect handbook on how to succeed." - Keith Ferrazzi, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller Who's Got Your Back and Never Eat Alone "Grit to Great is packed with wisdom and lessons on how develop the power of perseverance, tenacity and fortitude that ultimately leads to success. The insights here will stay with you long after you finish reading!" - Marshall Goldsmith, author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Triggers, and What Got You Here Won't Get You There "Grit and tenacity are absolutely essential to success, and that's why I'm so excited about Linda and Robin's new book, Grit to Great. Grit is what made America great, and it's what will make you be the person you truly want to be, in any area where you really want to succeed. I've read it and I'm recommending it to all my friends. I know the authors, and they not only wrote the book on grit, they live it. It's going to change your life." - John Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and other bestsellers "In Grit to Great, Linda and Robin have written what is sure to be another bestseller. It's a simple, well-written, inspiring read that will get you going on your own journey from grit to great." - Andrea March, Co-founder, Women's Leadership Exchange