Today’s Guest:
Angela Duckworth is a professor at The University of Pennsylvania, and also the founder and scientific director of The Character Lab aimed at advancing the science and practice of character development. She has advised the White House, professional sports teams and Fortune 500 CEO’s, and her first book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, debuted as an immediate New York Times best seller.
Does character matter more than grit when it comes to your success? Angela talks about why grit is not everything, and there are other things you need in order to grow and flourish. Character is plural. Discover the dimensions of character strengths and why you should be cultivating each of these to be successful.
Connect with Angela Duckworth:

You’ll Learn:
- [01:59] – Angela shares some of the takeaways from her upcoming presentation on character at the 5th World Congress in Positive Psychology.
- [03:53] – Angela discusses how these align with the VIA (Values in Action) strengths.
- [05:31] – Angela describes the intrapersonal character as the strength of will that includes self-control and grit.
- [06:41] – Angela describes how interpersonal strengths involve appreciating and caring for others.
- [07:36] – Intellectual character requires curiosity, being open-minded and having a zest for learning.
- [10:42] – Angela believes that you need all three of these types of character strengths in your workplace.
- [12:36] – Angela explains that while grit is important for achievement, but true success in life is broader than just achievement.
- [16:31] – Angela talks about what workplaces are doing to successfully cultivate grit.
- [19:42] – Angela shares some concerns she has about how some workplaces may be implementing practices to cultivate grit.
- [22:09] – The Lightning Round with Angela Duckworth.
Your Resources:
- 5th World Congress in Positive Psychology
- CharacterLab.org
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
- Getting Grit: The Evidence-Based Approach to Cultivating Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose – Caroline Adams Miller
- Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise – Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.
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Special thanks to Angela for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!


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