Hi Indy Grit Community,
Here is my final installment of Grit for our Global Pandemic. My focus this week is on the third of the three character qualities that I believe are essential for leading through the double trouble that we face, and successfully navigating to our new abnormal.
In my video, I refer to a compelling story told by Sara Groves -- here is the link to her story.
Here is this week's installment of Grit for our Global Pandemic. My focus this week is on the second of the three character qualities that I believe are essential for leading through the double trouble that we face -- the global pandemic coupled with economic collapse.
Thanks,
Harry
Here is this week's installment of Grit for our Global Pandemic. My focus this week is on the first of the three character qualities that I believe are essential for leading through the crisis that we face. My case study is the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in July 1989 that captured the attention of the public for the heroism of the pilots; and, the admiration of aviators for the miraculous landing that saved many lives.
Hello IndyGrit.Community Members,
I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. I'm reaching out today to encourage you with a brief video that I trust will provide some help for gritting it through the week ahead. Below are some of the quotes I reference and a link to the interview with Jim Collins. I hope to be back next week with another encouraging word for the week ahead.
Regards,
Harry Howe
HoweLeadership
IndyGrit.Community
--
“Well, you have to understand, it was never depressing. Because despite all those circumstances, I never ever wavered in my absolute faith that not only would I prevail—get out of this—but I would also prevail by turning it into the defining event of my life that would make me a stronger and better person. Not only that, Jim, you realize I’m the lucky one.”
~Admiral James Stockdale
"This is what I learned from those years in the prison camp, where all those constraints just were oppressive. You must never ever ever confuse, on the one hand, the need for absolute, unwavering faith that you can prevail despite those constraints with, on the other hand, the need for the discipline to begin by confronting the brutal facts, whatever they are. We’re not getting out of here by Christmas.”
~Admiral James Stockdale
Interview with Jim Collins: https://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/TheStockdaleParadox.html
At our recent IndyGrit.Community event at Launch Fishers, Dona Carlisle, one of the owners of VA On The Spot, shared with us her own personal story of true grit that is still unfolding. I checked back this week with Dona to get an update. Here is our conversation.
Harry: Dona, the story you shared at our recent event resonated with many of us in the room. Can you refresh my memory on the sequence of events that led up to what you described that morning?
Dona: Sure. The story really begins last year. After an extended career at a large multinational company here in Indianapolis, I realized that the satisfaction I once enjoyed with my job had dissipated and I began dreaming of something else I could do that would revive the joy I have with serving others. This led to a leap of faith to create a virtual assistant service, VA On The Spot, with my two daughters in November 2019. But before I left my former company, I shared my dream with my massage therapist who was helping me keep it all together during the stressful last few months on my former job. She gave me a referral to a prospect at a local company serving the medical device industry.
Harry: That's a great example of informal networking and getting referrals.
Dona: Indeed! Next, I emailed this prospect right away. He responded in about 10 days and this began a series of about half a dozen or more follow up emails, many of which he did not respond to. I was able to arrange a phone meeting, but he was a no-show. A second scheduled phone-meeting was the same – he never called.
Harry: Wow! That must have been discouraging. It certainly took an abundance of grit to keep going after what appears to be rejection after rejection.
Dona: Well, it did take grit. But in almost every communication, I reminded him that his inability to respond was exactly why he needed me. He was overwhelmed and I could help solve that problem. I was totally focused on helping him help himself. That passion – coupled with the reality that my livelihood and that of my daughters was dependent on my success – strengthened my resolve to stay the course.
Harry: I know this story has a happy ending. When did things get back on-track?
Dona: It all happened quickly at the end of last year. I sent three emails in December that went unanswered and then another one the first week of January. I kept emphasizing I was still interested in talking and that it was clear he needed my help. He responded positively right away to that last email and then we had a meeting date set and a promise that he will show up!
Harry: That sounds like a very happy New Year for VA On The Spot!
Dona: It was awesome!
Harry: I can tell that you have your spark back and are enjoying your work again.
Dona: I really am. There is nothing I enjoy more than helping people like this – bringing order out of chaos and freeing them up to do what they do best and what earns them their highest return on investment.
Harry: What lesson from this experience would you like to share with your fellow members of IndyGrit.Community?
Dona: Even after an extensive career in the business world, I underestimated the grit required to start a new business. I had to keep my long-term goal top of mind when the hope of an engagement with this prospect dimmed. And it paid off. So, my advice to our community is to be crystal clear on your long-term goal and focus on that rather than your temporary setbacks.
Harry: Dona, thanks so much for sharing your story. How can our community help you?
Dona: Thank you, Harry! Right now, some more referrals would be great. We offer a wide range of traditional virtual assistant services, from accounting and bookkeeping to travel and event planning. In addition, between my daughters and I, we have expertise in digital marketing and intellectual property, which is not something typically offered by virtual assistants. We love to bring order out of chaos and help professionals work in the area of their strengths, leaving the rest to us. You can see all the services we offer at our website, VAontheSpot.com. Let us help you succeed, one task at a time!
Thanks to you, our January 15th event at Launch Fishers was a resounding success. I'm still processing all I learned and how I can put into practice what I gleaned from Andrew, Ali, Darrian, and the discussion at each table. Here are some of the insights I'm still chewing on.
Andrew Curtis' advice to his son continues to resonate with me: "Get knocked down 7 times, GET UP 8." What a great description of what grit looks like for a student athlete.
Ali Cudby's story of rowing a crew boat is etched in my mind forever as an example of grit coupled with discernment. She demonstrated grit in completing the race with her teammates despite the frigid temperature and the toll it took on each team member. But she also realized that it wasn't something she was passionate about and there was no virtue in continuing to compete.
Darrian Mikell's story validated the value of athletics in building grit that can be drawn on for success later in life. He shared his own experience on the court that he now applies off the court in his entrepreneurial endeavors.
The discussion at Jack Fisby's table regarding Dona Carlisle's story of perseverance was timely. It reminded me of the value of working together as a community to strengthen our grit muscles.
How about you? Post a comment on our Facebook page to let us know what you learned and how you are applying it.
I appreciate Brian Brosmer's expert photography of our event. You can check out his handiwork on our Facebook page.
Last week in this newsletter, I made the point that it takes grit to maintain a New Year's resolution. Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page – the authors of One Word that Will Change Your Life – argue for an entirely different approach to self-improvement. Here are a few excerpts from the book that summarizes their approach.
We set to-do goals instead of to-be goals. Success is measured by what we accomplish instead of who we become. Making resolutions convinces us that all we have to do is roll up our sleeves again and get to work. The practice encourages us to put the power of life change in our heads and hands with a game plan to change our habits and then turns us loose. This approach ignores the most important part of life change: the heart....
Instead of creating goals and resolutions, we found a single word that would be our driving force for the year. No goals. No resolutions. Just One Word! We simply developed a One Word theme for the year. It became a One Word vision for everything, and it changed our lives....
Our formula is not rooted in our strength and resolve but in surrender and simplicity. It is not based on temporary inspiration or on the latest pep talk. It’s found in narrowing our focus, because we believe less is best. For us, simplicity created clarity, power, and passion....
For us, this One Word process has created laserlike focus throughout the year. It has become a driving force and stretches us in all six dimensions of life: spiritual, physical, mental, relational, emotional, and financial. We’ve been transformed in many ways through this process, and we promise you’ll experience transformation, too.
Gordon, Jon. One Word That Will Change Your Life, Expanded Edition (pp. 4-6). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
The authors have put into practice their belief that simple is best and powerful by designing their book to be read in 49 minutes. I'm adding it to our IndyGrit.Community recommended reading list. And I've chosen grit as my one word for 2020.
Whatever path you take for personal growth, I guarantee it will take grit - the convergence of passion and perseverance around a meaningful long-term goal - to follow through on your commitments to yourself.
Research on athletes who make New Year’s resolutions has pinpointed January 12th as the fateful day when the most people report having failed to keep their commitment to themselves. And before January has come to a close, most people have given up entirely on their resolutions.
If you are one of the many who are making New Year’s resolutions for 2020, let me remind you that it takes grit – the convergence of passion and perseverance around a meaningful long-term goal – to follow through on these commitments. Here are two tips for getting traction on your New Year’s resolutions.
The first component for grit is to anchor your resolution to a long-term goal you are passionate about. A bad example would be a resolution to begin working out at the gym so that you look good in a swimsuit on winter break in Florida. A good example would be a resolution to begin working out so that you can build stamina to pursue your personal interests outside of work instead of coming home weary every evening.
The second component for grit is perseverance – your resolution needs to be linked to an achievable plan for success that works for you. Think through what may hinder your success and take action to mitigate those obstacles. Perhaps you need a gym buddy to help you stay the course. Or you need to commit to putting on your workout gear before you allow yourself a cup of coffee in the morning. Plus, instead of simply adding to your frantic schedule this new commitment to go to the gym, determine what you are going to cut from your schedule to give priority to this important commitment to yourself.
“A goal is not about what you accomplish. It’s about who you become.” ~ Michael Hyatt
Over the last month, I've been highlighting a book I recommend to those on the journey to become more gritty – Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now, by Liz Forkin Bohannon. If you missed my introduction, I suggest going back to that overview before reading further. Part 2 is here and Part 3 here. In this fourth and final part of my review, I’ll share some thoughts on Chapter 11 – Stop, Drop, and WOW .
In this chapter nestled within her 14 principles, Liz cautions us to jealously guard and incubate our dreams in their infancy. I whole-heartedly agree. In my experience, we too frequently expose them to skeptics before they are ready for close examination. Or, we ask practical questions like "how can I do this?" or "how can I overcome that?" prematurely. Here is an excerpt chock-full of her wisdom.
We all know that a dream without a plan is just a wish. But wigging out about not having a Grand Strategic Plan before you actually need one is where we lose a lot of good people....
Listen, I will be the first to tell you that ideas are a dime a dozen. Even the best ideas don’t lead to jack diddle unless the dreaming is backed up with doing and grit and promise keeping. And the people out there building remarkable lives of purpose and passion and impact are always the ones who eventually transitioned from the WOW to HOW. But as true as that is, it doesn’t negate the vital importance of the Power of WOW. I am not advocating that we all sit around in La La Land and sing Kum-by-WOW for all of eternity. But first things first, people. And if you want to build a life of purpose and passion, WOW comes before HOW. Every. Single. Time.
Bohannon, Liz Forkin. Beginner's Pluck (pp. 155-156). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
In a recent newsletter, I gave an overview of a book I recommend to those on the journey to become more gritty – Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now, by Liz Forkin Bohannon. If you missed my review, I suggest going back to that overview before reading further. Part 2 is here. In this third part of my review, I’ll share some nuggets from a half-hour interview with Todd Henry on the Accidental Creative Podcast.
Liz and Todd discuss the meaning of pluck – spirited and determined courage – and her definition of beginner's pluck – a mindset that trumps experience, know-how, and connections through nerve, curiosity, spirit, and the humility to acknowledge we don't have it all figured out. She goes on to explain the virtues of channeling your inner beginner. I especially appreciate her transparency and humility in sharing her many failures on her journey to build an amazing organization.
Liz gives an engaging summary of her first cornerstone principle of owning your average. She also expounds on the counter-intuitive idea of dreaming small. And she explains something not in the book – that the sequence of her 14 principles build on one another over the life-cycle of a venture.
If you have a half-hour to invest in your grittiness, I encourage you to listen to the entire podcast and you will be both inspired and enlightened.
There is more I’d like to share with you from Liz’s book, so in our next newsletter, look for Part 4.
Here is a short video of Liz Forkin Bohannon's synopsis of her recent book – Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now
In our last newsletter, I gave an overview of a book I recommend to those on the journey to become more gritty – Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now, by Liz Forkin Bohannon. If you missed my review, I suggest going back to that overview before reading further. In this second part of my review, I’ll share some of the key take-aways that resonated with me.
If you are unfamiliar with the author, this excerpt from the introduction will provide context. Liz shares her success in a humble, easy-going fashion that is refreshing.
Over the last ten years, we’ve built one of the largest manufacturing companies in Uganda, where we’ve entertained the president on multiple occasions, proving to him in person the magic (and gross domestic product!) women can create when actually taken seriously and given the opportunity to thrive in industries traditionally dominated by men. [Bohannon, Liz Forkin. Beginner's Pluck (p. 16). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition]
I applaud Liz’s pushback on the cheerleading surrounding career building and entrepreneurship that is rampant in our business media.
… I’ve been learning firsthand how the ubiquitous “Follow Your Dreams” and “Find Your Passion” motivational narrative is really affecting people. And I’ve got to tell you: I think we’ve got some things very wrong. What I think was meant to be a message of encouragement and empowerment is actually creating anxiety, fear, and serious analysis paralysis. My goal with this book is to teach you the principles that will help you debunk these myths, not so that you can live a life of complacency but so that you can stop wasting your time hunting for a unicorn that doesn’t exist and instead get down to the incredibly juicy, adventurous, life-giving work of building an extraordinary life of passion, purpose, and impact. [Bohannon, Liz Forkin. Beginner's Pluck (pp. 17-18). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.]
The following excerpt is from her principle “Own Your Average”. I think it should be mandatory reading for every high school senior (and his or her parents).
… it taught me that we are neither called to vie for the spotlight nor to shrink into the chorus line. We are simply called to figure out what we have to offer, the gift we have to give, the words we have to speak, the art we have to make, the song we have to sing, …. We each have a sacred part to play. What the world doesn’t need are more people who are desperately trying to convince themselves and others they are above average special Cinderellas because they think that is what will earn them the spotlight and that the spotlight itself will give them a sense of worthiness and purpose. [Bohannon, Liz Forkin. Beginner's Pluck (p. 26-27). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.]
There are more proverbs I’d like to share with you from Liz’s book, so in our next newsletter, look for Part 3.
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Liz Forkin Bohannon is a kindred spirit to our IndyGrit.Community. Her recent book is entitled: Beginner's Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. Liz defines pluck as "spirited and determined courage." Sounds a lot like grit to me.
In her book, she defines pluck using her own story of spirited and determined courage in building a business in order to keep three young Ugandan women together, teach them a skill, and help them earn money for college. Liz modestly narrates her role in building Sseko Designs, a growing privately held company providing an online platform offering apparel and footwear made by women in developing countries. Her advice is summarized in 14 truisms that are oriented towards beginners, but applicable to all. Here they are:
1. Own your average
2. Stop trying to "Find Your Passion"
3. Dream small
4. Choose curiosity over criticism
5. Be on assignment in your own life
6. Find and replace
7. Surprise yourself
8. Get your steps in
9. Get hooked on making (and keeping!) promises
10. Be good with good enough
11. Stop, drop, and WOW
12. Dream to attract your team
13. Don't hide from the shadows
14. Walk one another home
Liz's writing style is informal, easy to read, and geared to young entrepreneurs. In my experience, some of her truisms are more peculiar to her personal journey and not as widely applicable as she presecribes. Nevertheless, she has a compelling story and I've added this book to my reading list for young entrepreneurs. In the weeks ahead, I'll share a few key points that resonated with me.
I'm pleased to announce our next IndyGrit.Community event will be hosted by Launch Fishers on Wednesday, January 15 from 10:00 to 11:30 am in their theater. Our theme is Grit: The Superpower of Entrepreneurs.
Our event will consist of a panel discussion with three local entrepreneurs and a practical exercise to strengthen your own grit. Plus, there will be an opportunity to meet others who share an interest in becoming grittier. In future newsletters, I'll tell you more about each of our panelists to whet your interest in their personal story of grit.
If you are new to this concept of grit and wonder why I characterize it as a superpower - here is why. Grit has been shown to be a better predictor of success than talent in every domain in which it has been studied, including the classroom, West Point, and professional sports teams. It's a key differentiator in those who make their mark in life versus those who abandon their dreams and just drift. I define grit as the convergence of passion and perseverance around a long-term, meaningful goal. The good news is that grit is not something in your DNA that you are born with; but rather, more like a muscle that can be developed. IndyGrit.Community exists for all who aspire to become grittier.
I recently had to opportunity to write and share a guest blog for LivRite Fitness. I am pleased to be able to share that article here on Indy Grit Community.
You can check out the original article here.
Did you make any new year’s resolutions back in January? How are you doing on them? Fitness resolutions are among the most popular aspirations among resolution-makers. But the brutal truth is that, of 40% of Americans who make them, less than half are still on-track at mid-year, and less than 10% report achieving their goal.
What’s different about the few who make it to the end of the year to achieve their goals? I believe it’s grit. I define grit as the convergence of passion and perseverance around a long-term, meaningful goal. Grit has been shown to be a better predictor of success than talent in every domain in which it has been studied, including the classroom, West Point, and professional sports teams.
The good news is that grit is not something in your DNA that you are born with; but rather, more like a muscle that can be developed. Here are several tips for strengthening your grit muscle to help you achieve your LivRite Fitness goals.
First and foremost is to be crystal clear on your high-level goal and why it is important. For me, this is about achieving a high level of physical and mental fitness for the demands of my new role as a care giver for my wife, who has Parkinson’s. I’m passionate about this goal. It is more important to me than my comfort or anything else that might ambush me to sabotage my progress.
Second is to recognize that there is no such thing as overnight success. I know that achieving my goal is a marathon, not a sprint. I don’t expect immediate results. That being so, I’m focusing on enjoying the journey. And the best part about the journey is our community. I appreciate the team at LivRite Fitness, especially Jill, who demonstrates tough love to guide me towards the achievement of my goal. There are others, like Matt Lymberopoulos, who are always there to provide encouragement. Plus lots of regulars who are on their own journeys and meet up at the same time each week at LivRite Fitness in Noblesville to encourage one another.
If you’d like to strengthen your grit muscle, choose to do something hard – something out of your comfort zone – that will move you a step closer to a long-term meaningful goal.
Thanks to all who made our Q3 IndyGrit.Community event a great success. We especially appreciate our hosts, the IUPUI Department of Computer Information and Graphics Technology.
Our panel for Grit for the Grind of Student Life & Beyond featured three of our own local superstars: Doug Karr, Chris Rogers, and Aaron Sanders.
Aaron's perspective was especially thought-provoking. Several of you asked for a copy of his list of behaviors that require no talent. Here they are:
1. Being on time
2. Making an effort
3. Being high energy
4. Having a positive attitude
5. Being passionate
6. Using good body language
7. Being coachable
8. Doing a little extra
9. Being prepared
10. Having a strong work ethic
It was gratifying to have this multi-generational group for our one-year anniversary event. My Pretty Little Pretzel made us all feel very special with their unique catering flair. The small group discussion at the tables was lively and no one got up to leave when we adjourned.
I sometimes find grit (the convergence of passion and perseverance around a long-term meaningful goal) in unexpected places. Recently, I observed it in a young man by the name of Brady, who started drawing and never lifted his pen for a full 24 hours. This feat undoubtedly required a measure of grit. Initially, I wondered what inspired Brady to persevere for 24 hours at this task. Then, at 5:59 into the video came the answer. Check it out for yourself. You can see the highlights here.
Thinking about Brady, I made these observations that apply to our IndyGrit.Community:
Passion is the anchor that steadies us and holds us resolute when the excitement of an exhilarating start wears off. In the 24th hour of Brady’s marathon drawing session, he was physically spent but absolutely committed to finishing that last hour.
Your level of passion sets the boundaries in which your perseverance can operate. Brady was extraordinarily passionate about his long-term goal – enough so that he pushed through the fatigue and discomfort in the final hours to achieve his goal.
Goals can be nested within one another. Brady’s goal of drawing for a full 24 hours without lifting his pen was nested within another more compelling goal, revealed at the end of the video.
To some degree, the sweetness of success is in proportion to the grit required to achieve a goal. This is evident at the end of the video as Brady unfurls his 24-hour masterpiece.
Brady's story reminds me of two quotes that inspire me to be more gritty.
"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." ~ John Maxwell
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." ~ Vidal Sassoon
Some of you know that we recently moved to a new home. Our builder planted two saplings in our back yard that face a clearing where it can be very windy. One of the trees along with its root ball blew over in a strong wind and required staking. The other also needed staking because it began growing at an angle due to the wind.
After researching the best way to stake a tree, I learned that master gardeners avoid staking a tree whenever possible. Staking should be temporary and brief. Trunk movement from the wind is beneficial for the sapling in at least three ways, by:
1. Promoting root growth
2. Strengthening the trunk
3. Tapering the trunk from bottom to top.
Our sunroom looks out onto the two trees (only one has survived, but that’s a story for another day), and that’s the place where I often enjoy a cup of coffee in my “thinking chair.” Recently I was thinking about the way in which the trees bending in the wind mirror the way we become more resilient. As the winds of adversity bear down on us, we can grow tougher and stronger — just like the tree — if we have developed deep roots of passion and perseverance. The wind of adversity can blow us out of our comfort zone where real personal growth most often occurs. It may blow off a dying branch that is sapping resources from more vital branches. And it may drive us to seek out partnerships with those who are stronger and have weathered past storms.
It reminded me of saying #25 from the 30 Sayings of the Wise: “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”
If you aspire to become more gritty and seek to interact with others on that journey, watch for details of our next event.
This post was inspired by Strong Winds Make Strong Trees – 3 Ways to Develop Resilient Team Members.
Earlier this month, Doris Day made her final curtain call. For those less familiar with her life and career, this 2004 tribute by President Bush, as he awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is a fine summary:
In the years since, she has kept her fans and shown the breadth of her talent in television and the movies. She starred on screen with leading men from Jimmy Stewart to Ronald Reagan, from Rock Hudson to James Garner. It was a good day for America when Doris Marianne von Kappelhoff of Evanston, Ohio decided to become an entertainer. It was a good day for our fellow creatures when she gave her good heart to the cause of animal welfare. Doris Day is one of the greats, and America will always love its sweetheart.
What is less well-know are the circumstances that led to the discovery of her talent. In 1937, at the age of 25, Day was in an automobile that was hit by a train. Her injuries required an extended recuperation period. She spent many hours alone with her radio listening to popular singers, especially Ella Fitzgerald. She began to sing along with Ella and others, and it wasn’t long before her talent was discovered. As often happens, her talent was born out of adversity. Later in her career, she once again demonstrated her grit following a sudden financial crisis, brought on by her husband and his lawyer, who squandered her $20 million fortune and left her in debt.
This tribute to Day sums up my own personal feelings:
… Doris Day used her gifts of voice and smile to draw millions to the movies. She needed neither nudity nor vulgarity to make her many roles both believable and enjoyable. She was a far more gifted actress than Hollywood cynics would admit and she was convincing in dramatic roles as well as comedy.
As we mourn her passing, let’s acknowledge Doris Day’s grit, which was the springboard to her early career, and provided the resilience to overcome her financial misfortunes later in life. My favorite Doris Day movie is Pillow Talk from 1959. It’s a reminder that some things change, while others remain very much the same.
In the May 10 issue of The Wall Street Journal, Lauren Weber and Chip Cutter have a revealing article entitled A Wake-Up Call for Grads: Entry-Level Jobs Aren’t So Entry Level Any More. The subtitle tells it all: Gone are the days when new hires spent years learning the ropes before being handed important work. The Class of 2019 will be thrown right into the fray.
The authors make the point that automation and outsourcing have chipped away most of the routine and boring tasks that entry-level employees used to perform on their first rung of the corporate ladder. These kinds of low-impact, low-risk tasks allowed past generations of graduates to transition gracefully to corporate life with some margin for error. Having eliminated these tasks, businesses are giving their new employees challenging assignments right from the start. Furthermore, in today’s customer-focused world nearly all jobs have some customer-facing responsibilities that amplify the impact and risk of an assignment.
“If that sounds like a blessing, there’s a flip side, too. New hires don’t have any built-in time to develop the sense of toughness and professionalism you’d normally learn from going through the grind at the lowest level.” So says Kurt Rathmann, founder of ScaleFactor, an Austin, Texas-based software maker.
Allow me to paraphrase Rathmann’s point – the 2019 graduating class needs more grit than classes that have gone before them. They need to hit the ground running and be resourceful and resilient. With that in mind, here is a practical application. Instead of the traditional gift of some cash for the graduates in your life, make a lasting impact by giving them a copy of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth.
Richard Lugar with then-Senator Barack Obama in August 2005 near Perm, Russia
When Richard Lugar passed from our midst on April 28, we lost a statesman with true grit. No matter your political leanings, we can admire Lugar's passion and resilience. Born in Indianapolis, Lugar began his public service in 1964 on the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners. His political career had many ups and downs, epitomized by his short-lived 1996 campaign for the Republican nomination for President. On the upside, he served six terms in the US Senate before being defeated in 2012 in his run for reelection.
I especially admire Lugar's resiliency in launching the Lugar Center in Washington following his service in the Senate. The Lugar Center is focused on his passions: Global Food Security, WMD Nonproliferation, Foreign Aid Effectiveness, and Bipartisan Governance. In my judgment, it took true grit to continue advocacy for these causes after his resounding defeat in the run for a seventh term in the Senate.
As I've thought about Lugar's legacy, I've concluded he would have been a model member of IndyGrit.Community because he was known for the three character qualities we especially value: humility, curiosity, and generosity. What will you be remembered for?
