Situated

It feels like a lifetime ago that I first came across Angela Duckworth's TED Talk on Grit: The Power of Perseverance. The topic of what it takes to succeed and overcome adversity is one that I’ve invested a lot of time in understanding over the years. Both her TED Talk and subsequently reading her book by the same name expanded on the theory behind how we develop and harness grit in pursuit of long-term goals.

It's been quite a while since I last re-read Grit, so my interest was piqued when I saw that Duckworth had released a new book. Even more so when I read what it was about.

Whilst Grit focused on how passion and perseverance can help us through difficult times, the more life experience you gain, the more you realise that grit alone is only one piece of the puzzle.

Over the last few years, I’ve spent countless hours both in quiet reflection as well as in discussion with friends and colleagues the idea of how different people have minds, habits and skills that work in varying ways, each of which can be suited to different environments and circumstances. This is the exact topic that Duckworth explores in Situated and it’s an important on.

Our understanding of neurodiversity continues to develop, but so too does the wider conversation around how differently people think and operate. We're certainly not all the way there yet, but there seems to be a growing acknowledgement that it's not simply a case of people having good or bad ways of thinking or behaving. Certain characteristics, thought processes and personality traits are simply better suited to some environments than others.

I recently had a conversation with a family member about how you can look across some of the most successful people in almost any field and often find a recurring theme. They aren't simply good at what they do. Whether initially through luck initially or increasingly by design over time, many eventually find or create an environment that allows their particular strengths to flourish.

If Grit gives you the insight to persist through hard times, Situated provides an important counterbalance. It challenges the idea that everyone operates in the same way and that perseverance and determination are the only pieces of the puzzle we need to solve.

It's not a particularly long book and, as with so many of my recent reads, I listened first and bought the physical copy afterwards. It's an enjoyable listen, but I suspect for some it will also be quite a comforting one as well.

I've known people who seem to find what works for them early in life. Others eventually develop enough self-awareness to understand the environments, people and ways of working that bring out their best. Then there are those who continue to struggle to understand why certain situations seem so much harder for them than they appear to be for everyone else.

Situated provides another way of thinking about that challenge. Sometimes the answer isn't simply to try harder or change who you are. It may be about better understanding yourself and finding, creating or shaping an environment that allows more of your potential to emerge.

Who's It For?

I think this is an excellent read for almost anyone, but it may be particularly valuable if you've ever felt like you don't quite fit or struggled to understand why certain environments seem more challenging for you than you feel they should.

For some, I suspect it will provide comfort. For others, reassurance. For those who have already started to understand the environments that bring out their best, much of it will probably resonate with conclusions they've gradually reached for themselves.