Unlocking the Secret to High-Performing Teams: ABA Report Reveals the Powerful Combination of Grit and Growth Mindset

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A new report from the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession entitled “Leveraging Grit and Growth Mindset to Drive Team Success” has examined the relationship between grit, growth mindset, and the success of teams in the workplace. The report is based on data from over 550 diverse lawyers collected through surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The study found that gritty and growth mindset-oriented teams are more successful and can deliver excellent service to clients. Additionally, such teams can develop new skills and produce high-quality work. The report indicates that team members were almost three times more likely to have a positive experience working with gritty and growth mindset-oriented teams.

During the virtual launch event, the report’s lead researcher, Milana Hogan, explained that the research aimed to understand how to work together effectively in teams. She highlighted that most lawyers work on teams most of the time and that it is essential to understand the best way to do so. Hogan is the lead researcher for the Grit Project and author of the report “Grit, the Secret to Advancement: Stories of Successful Women Lawyers.” She is also the chief talent officer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City.

The report defines grit as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals,” while a growth mindset is “the view that one’s abilities can be developed.” The Commission on Women in the Profession introduced the Grit Project and its related toolkit in 2014 to educate female lawyers about the science behind grit and growth mindset.

  

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The study found that team experiences directly impact respondents’ job satisfaction and future career plans. The report shows that 65% of men and 71% of women describe their work with a team as an “extremely” or “very” influential contributing factor to job satisfaction. Additionally, it indicates that 46% of men and 63% of women describe team experiences as a “high” or “essential” priority when deciding to stay with their current employer or look for other opportunities.

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The report also reveals that women are more likely to react to negative team experiences by leaving their current position than men. Therefore, according to Hogan, understanding how to work together in teams is a retention strategy that can benefit everyone. The report additionally asked respondents whether they had worked on a successful team, a gritty team, or a growth mindset-oriented team. Approximately 90% said they had worked on a successful team, 80% said they had worked on a gritty team, but only 45% had worked on a growth mindset-oriented team.

During the launch event, Hogan introduced a leadership-development model lawyers can use to develop these teams. It includes asking team members about their interests, planning shared learning opportunities, focusing on the purpose of the work, helping team members understand their work is worth the effort, and creating a psychologically safe space for the team.

Wendy Shiba, a past chair of the Commission on Women in the Profession’s Women of Color Research Initiative, also discussed scenarios in which a gritty and growth mindset could be helpful. She spoke about her own experience with teams and the importance of approaching them with those traits. Shiba highlighted that, for women who rise in their careers, perseverance and “stick-to-it-ness” are essential qualities that allow them to move forward, even in the face of adversity.

Overall, the report indicates that the success of teams depends on their ability to operate in a gritty and growth mindset-oriented way. Understanding and implementing these qualities can lead to higher job satisfaction, retention, and better-quality work. The report provides a leadership-development model that lawyers can use to develop these teams.