When it comes to being successful, you need more than talent and a strong work ethic—you need grit. Working in sales can be tough, which is why top salespeople demonstrate grit. They find ways to better themselves and keep going, even when they hear “no” more often than “yes.”

Author LaRae Quy says that grit matters to your success in more ways than one. Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today for Quy’s thoughts on why grit matters and how to develop more of it.

Success doesn't depend on talent. Science proves that grit is a far more reliable predictor of success than intelligence. If you have grit, you're brave and strong enough to do what it takes to succeed in business and life. It's a powerful force that allows you to stand out from the crowd even though your skills may not be exceptional, says Quy.

Psychology professor Angela Duckworth finds that grit—defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals—is an important predictor of success, if not the only one. In fact, grit is unrelated, or even negatively correlated, with talent. When working with West Point cadets, she found that those who scored higher in grit had the mental toughness to keep going when times got tough.

Work with a sense of purpose. Grit requires an intrinsic desire to go beyond what can easily be accomplished with talent or skill. According to Quy, this requires a deep sense of purpose because we believe our work is worth it. If forced to work this hard, we could just put in the minimum and call it good.

That, Quy says, is where most people land. They may be skilled, but they don’t have grit because their heart isn’t in it. They’re not motivated to go beyond what can easily be achieved with their talent. Quy advises taking the time to connect with your higher purpose. She says purpose will require you to find value in yourself and discover how you can contribute to the well-being of others.

Get better every day. Quy notes that a grit mindset never forgets that there are always opportunities to improve, no matter how good you may already be. This way of thinking gives people a leg up when confronted with an obstacle because defeat is never the default.

For many people, what stands in the way often becomes the way. A setback is not looked at as an opportunity to improve themselves; instead, it unfolds as their new path, regardless of whether it takes them where they want to go. Quy says that once you’ve found a pursuit that fills you with purpose, put in the work to get better at it every day. Compete with yourself so that you’re a bit better today than yesterday.

Learn to fail well. Quy says that when she was younger, she was told that failure and trying again were simply part of the learning process. Failure presented a “problem” to be worked out, and it was often a game of trying something new that might work. Many people despise failure, but Quy encourages them to look at failure as fertile training ground for future improvement.

When you cultivate grit in your life, you realize you have control over how you view obstacles. You can find opportunities in challenges and follow through on what you set out to accomplish. Want to be more successful? Start by growing your grit.

Source: LaRae Quy was an FBI undercover and counterintelligence agent for 24 years. Quy is the author of Secrets of a Strong Mind and Mental Toughness for Women Leaders: 52 Tips To Recognize and Utilize Your Greatest Strengths.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers