What is the role of grit (i.e. the personality trait that reflects perseverance and passion for long-term goals) in performance and skill level?
I’ve long been a staunch believer in the work of Anders Ericsson – the idea that deliberate practice is what predicts skill and performance. Basically, if you practice purposefully with feedback and reflection, and you do it regularly you’ll maximize your performance. This idea was popularized (and somewhat misstated) by Malcolm Gladwell in the 10,000 hour rule – mastery in any field requires 10,000 hours of practice.
But rarely are complex entities explained fully by simple ideas. While deliberate practice—focused, repetitive activities with corrective feedback—plays a key role in differentiating experts from novices, other factors come into play when distinguishing between experts of varying skill levels. This is at odds with Ericsson’s work – though findings from other research suggest there’s more to performance than just deliberate practice.
I just came across this study that I found quite interesting.
Study overview: A recent study of elite youth soccer players highlights the importance of grit—the personality trait that reflects perseverance and passion for long-term goals.
Results: Players with higher grit scores spent more time in coach-led team practices, the closest parallel to deliberate practice in team sports, and this practice predicted their skill levels. Interestingly, self-led training or casual play had no significant impact on skill, nor were these activities influenced by grit.
Even after accounting for hours of deliberate practice, grit continued to have a direct positive effect on skill. A one standard deviation increase in grit corresponded to at least a third of a standard deviation improvement in skill—underscoring grit’s unique contribution.
Interpretation: These findings remind us that while practice is foundational, factors like grit can amplify its effects, especially at higher levels of expertise. Building skill isn’t just about time spent practicing—this study shows us that the mindset and persistence you bring to the process is also critically important.
