The Power of Grit
September 21, 2025
Reflect
In 2017, Serena Williams became a mother and nearly lost her life in the process. After delivering her daughter, she suffered life-threatening blood clots that required multiple surgeries. For weeks she could barely move, facing the frightening possibility that her tennis career and the identity she had built over decades might be over.
Most people would have stepped away. Serena chose a different path. Eighteen months later, she walked back onto center court at Wimbledon. Between 2018 and 2019, she reached four Grand Slam finals, defying odds and expectations.
Her comeback was not defined by one trophy. It was defined by grit, the persistence to rebuild her strength, reframe her doubts, and show up again and again when nothing was guaranteed.
For leaders, the lesson is clear. A comeback is not one decisive moment. It is thousands of quiet choices to persist when fatigue, fear, and failure press in. That is grit, and it sustains momentum when talent or certainty alone are not enough.
Implement
A comeback begins not with sweeping change but with the proof that you can move the first five percent forward. This week, design your own First Five Percent Plan:
Write one clear sentence naming the comeback you want to make this quarter.
List three micro steps that represent the first five percent of that goal. Keep them simple and doable.
Block the first step on your calendar and treat it as non-negotiable.
Momentum is built in small, steady wins. The first five percent is where belief and action meet.
Strengthen
Resilience is not talent or luck. It is the discipline to keep moving when progress feels slow. That is grit and the passion sustained by perseverance.
This short animated video brings Angela Duckworth’s research to life, showing how grit often outperforms intelligence, background, or resources when it comes to long-term success.
👉Watch Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (5 min animated)
Elevate
Serena’s story shows us that grit is not a single act. It is the repeated decision to rise again. One small win this week can be your foundation for many more.
Momentum Insight
Resilience is not only a mindset. It is a design challenge. Leaders who sustain momentum create systems that help them notice progress, learn from setbacks, and adapt. AI can turn scattered reflections into a resilience map that shows where strength is building and where energy is being drained.
This week, keep your reflections in a document or jot them by hand and take a photo at the end of the week. Then ask AI: “From these notes, create a resilience map. Show me my recurring sources of energy, the obstacles that slow me down, and the shifts that could strengthen my momentum next week.”
You can also push AI further. Ask it to suggest practices that reinforce your energy sources, or to visualize your reflections as a journey with milestones and turning points. The goal is not a polished report but a mirror of your own grit in motion. Over time, this practice turns daily effort into insight and makes perseverance a system you can design and trust.
Next week: Bold Leadership for Sustainability: The future belongs to leaders who take the long view.
Subscribe to The Weekly Momentum.
