Building Grit with Shannon Huffman Polson

Being able to bounce back from adversity is a critical skill in being successful in business and in living a healthy, fulfilled life. In general, resilient people have better mental and physical health, are more productive, have a greater sense of purpose, and experience greater success. In this episode, Shannon Huffman Polson discusses the challenges she faced as a pioneer in military aviation. Shannon also shares what she has learned about developing resilience that anyone can apply in the face of disappointment, defeat, and adversity.

Shannon was one of the first women to pilot an Apache attack helicopter in the United States Army. She is also the author of the book “The Grit Factor” which helps people define their story and core purpose, gather and practice the skills to develop grit, and own their uniqueness while leading in difficult times.

At age 19, Shannon became the youngest woman ever to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America. She went on to reach the summits of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development, and host of The Grit Factor podcast. She also teaches on the faculty of the Tuck School's Leadership and Strategic Initiative Executive Education Program.

“What the science is showing…is you can build grit and resilience. I think the key is you have to make that decision. You have to be wiling to make that decision, because that’s a conscious effort to be able to take the steps to do the work.” Shannon Huffman Polson talking about how everyone can build greater grit and resilience.