Ease vs Grit

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard of the virtues of grit. The power with sticking things through until the end, even when they get difficult. 

I agree with this, but I also think that we often don’t pay enough attention to ease. 

Grit is necessary to survive and prosper – no road is entirely downhill and smoothly paved without cracks, bumps, or spilled gravel. But just because we CAN make it through abrasive events, difficulties, and hurdles, doesn’t mean that we always should. 

So how do we parse whether we should tough it out or take the easy road? My assertion is that you should take whatever path is most aligned with your purpose and values. 

If a hard conversation around compensation for an employee would be the most transparent and fair, then you should have it. The “easy” route of just ignoring them and hoping it goes away will end up not only more costly, but might also be misaligned with your vision of being a visionary leader who focuses on equality, transparency, and trust.

If you’re trying to tough it out in a job that is toxic with managers who are infighting and jockeying for power with executives oblivious to the nastiness of the day-to-day, the easy route might be to just quit and look for a new job which that might also be more aligned with your values of trust, transparency, and collaboration. 

So the question shouldn’t be what’s easier or harder, but whatever is going to get you closer to becoming the person you wish to be.

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