SMITHFIELD – We can’t all be Olympic medal-holding swimmers like Katie Ledecky.
But the perseverance and passion that fueled the world record-setting athlete’s success can be applied to anyone, regardless of skill set or profession.
“There’s no genetic advantage,” said Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and researcher who studies the science of success and has spoken with Ledecky’s coach. “You can learn these things.”
In her keynote address at the Bryant University Women’s Summit on Wednesday, Duckworth shared insights into her research and offered advice on how women across the state could develop and refine their own success stories, or, as she describes it, their “grit.”
The 24th annual event, the second to be held virtually, drew a record 1,400 participants from 14 countries and 33 states, ranging from C-suite executives to high school students, according to Bryant University President Ross Gittell.
The aptly themed event centered on resiliency and growth, with a host of industry experts both local and nationally renowned hosting panels and addresses on everything from women and investing to planning tips for nonprofit and business leaders.
Duckworth kicked off the event by sharing her own, “winding” career path which did not turn to psychology and her now famous research until she was 32, already a mother of two children.
She recalled how her father praised successful athletes and Nobel Prize winners during her childhood. He was certain it was their innate talent that set them above the rest, but Duckworth, a “slightly rebellious little girl,” in her words, wanted to prove otherwise.
Her research, described in more detail in her best-selling book “Grit: the power of passion and perseverance,” found that talent had little to do with success. Rather, it was perseverance – steady, prolonged focus in a single direction – combined with passion that determined achievement.
The resilient and focused pursuit of one’s passion is not easy – challenges will arise, failure will happen. But not letting those doubts deter you is what sets the world’s top achievers apart, Duckworth said.
Using the example of Ledecky, she spoke about how the swimmer chose to train with the men’s team, practicing harder than anyone else.
While Duckworth’s research suggests women and men are equally “gritty,” women face more systemic and cultural obstacles to achieving success, making what they choose to do with their achievement all the more important. Many of the role models Duckworth has interviewed and studied use their success not just for personal gain, but more furthering societal equity, she said.
Another “superpower” that aids in success is seeking feedback, and using that feedback to improve, Duckworth said. Nancy DeViney, an executive coach and former senior executive for IBM who moderated Duckworth’s address in a Q&A-style discussion, spoke to her own struggles in this area, which she sees as indicative of a larger problem for women in the workplace.
“For a lot of women, we’re not getting enough feedback but we’re also not asking for enough feedback,” DeViney said. If we’re going to have that be a superpower we really need to change that equation.”
The day-long event also recognized three women business leaders. Bryony Bouyer, senior vice president for Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Strategies at Hasbro, received the Kati Machtley Businesswoman of the Year Award, named for former event director Kati Machtley. Kim Anderson, co-founder of Plant City Providence, and Brenda Galgano, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Perdue Farms were jointly recognized as the inaugural winners of the “Women who Lead” awards.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
