Poster Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

The Role Of Grit In Positive Leadership (#774)

Sarah E Schimschal 1
  1. Positive Legacies, Silverdale, NSW, Australia

Background: The concepts of grit and positive leadership have been linked to outstanding achievement across many industries and professions.  However, to date, there has been little empirical analysis of the relationship between a leader’s level of grit and their capacity to implement positive leadership.  Methods: This correlational study explores gritty leadership using two quantitative self-report measures. Recruitment targeted leaders in both direct and indirect leadership roles.  Participants (n=100) completed the 10-item Grit Scale and three dimensions of the Positive Leadership Practices Self-Assessment: (1) accomplishing Everest goals, (2), positive communication, and (3) positive meaning.  Results: Grit related positively with a leader’s capacity to implement all three dimensions of positive leadership.  There was a higher correlation for men than women and the strength of the relationship increased with age.  Perseverance was more strongly related than passion and overall grit accounted for variance in positive leadership capacity.  Conclusions:  These findings provide an evidence base for integrating grit and related constructs into leadership development programs to accelerate the growth and performance of leaders.