Arzina Zaza

Overview of the Work

This book was very well written and it was extremely inspiring. From the time I picked up this book, I could not wait to keep reading and reviewing tips on how to continue to include GRIT into my life. This book is an excellent guide whether the reader is a first time reader on the subject or someone who is experienced in using GRIT in their life. The book is divided into 3 parts, the first part is about the whole aspect of GRIT and its foundation. In this area the author uses quotes and details on what it means to have GRIT and how much of an impact it can have in one’s life. The second area reviews how one can incorporate GRIT into their communication to help them become better at communicating and having their message heard. The third part discusses our impact and if we have GRIT how we can impact all aspects of our lives and that of others.

The reason this book is so good and valuable is that it is a book which one can read and then read again, it has so many useful tips and tools that one would want to keep this book on their book shelf and reach out for it when needed as the tips are so valuable and it is a book that allows the reader to have tools to use whether it is in their current situation or sometime in the future.

Evaluation of the Work

PART I

The author discussed leading with GRIT and what GRIT stood for which is generosity, respect, integrity and truth. These values, according to the author, has to be present in a person/leader before they are able to positively impact and lead others to success. The DISC assessment was discussed and this is a valuable tool currently used in my organization to help leaders understand their areas of strength and areas they can continue to work on.

Words like Generosity, Paying it forward, the more you give more you get, finding purpose, five steps to change, we all included in this part of the book, which are all aspects of successful leadership. I do believe that if a leader works on themselves from the inside, they will be more successful on the outside. They will be more successful as a person and that will allow them to impact others positively, no matter what aspect of their life this person is in.

The author used famous quotes and words from other writers on grit and these were powerful in making a statement and catching the readers’ attention. These words/phrases were followed by a paragraph or two on more details about what we can do to incorporate GRIT into our lives.

PART II

The author did a really good job to appeal to her readers as she continued to add words from famous people and authors and then elaborated on what it means and how we can impact our lives and continue to communicate with GRIT in all areas of our lives. In this area of the book, the author helps the reader introspect on how they communicate and what they can do to improve their message. The author also talks about courage and the need to have courage to speak out when necessary and to stay quite when needed. Really powerful statements and words are used to communicate the points. In this part, DISC is brought up again and the value of understanding our DISC results and why it is important to understand how we communicate and then work on areas we can improve on. The author also discussed e-messages which has also become a part of our communication especially these days.

PART III

This area goes over how we can impact ourselves and others around us. In this part the author reviews our impact as a leader and the ripple effect. Once again, this part of the book is embedded with messages and quotes from the wise and in this area the author reviews the accountability ladder which is an excellent tool to use as a leader who wants to make a positive impact. The author discusses the power of relationships and connections and why one needs to connect and use GRIT to create everlasting connections with others. In this area, the author goes into the importance of adapting to situations and how GRIT can play a part when change occurs. Here the five steps of change is also reviewed and discussed. A few of my favorite philosophies of leadership are also mentioned in this section including the power of attitude and the art of delegation. The importance of believing and investing in people is also reviewed and the author elaborates of how GRIT plays a part in helping leaders create and maintain everlasting relationships.

The author uses examples, poll results, surveys and cites her research used in the book to substantiate her thoughts and ideas. These resources are used throughout the book to explain GRIT – Generosity, Respect, Integrity and Trust. The author wraps the book up with the importance of seeking feedback and no matter what types of feedback, good or bad, it is better to receive feedback rather than no feedback at all.

Chapter 12, which is the last chapter of the book, is a nice way to wrap up the book. This is where the author reminds the readers to enjoy the journey and work on implementing what has been learned throughout the book and not to stress about the implementations and to just enjoy and keep learning and keep implementing while keeping GRIT in mind, and to keep generosity, respect, integrity and trust at the core of their being. This is why this book is an excellent tool/resource to keep and to revisit as needed in the future.

Recommendation/ Assessment of the Work

This book was excellent, it was easy to read and easy to follow and I do believe no matter who picks up this book, they will see value in it. The book had the right information with the right substantiated information and enough reference to show that the work has been done and proven and readers can trust the source of the material. The only recommendation to the author would be to write another book but this time bind it in 4 parts and each part would be about one area of GRIT. Put the 4 books together and insert it in a hard cover sleeve with GRIT on the front and each part of GRIT would then cover more details on each area like generosity, respect, integrity and trust and each part could include assessments and tools a person could take to see where they are in each area and some more self-help tools to use to get better in that area.

It was a pleasure reading, reviewing and writing about this book – I learned a lot from the information in this book and I will continue to implement GRIT in my life.

About the Author

Arzina Zaza is currently an Associate faculty at the University of Phoenix.  I have been teaching classes under the School of Business and College of Humanities and Social Sciences since 2007 and I love it.  My favorite class to teach is Critical Thinking and I look forward to every opportunity to impact the lives of my students in a positive way.  My goal, once I complete my doctorate program, is to become a full time faculty member while also spending time on my research and working on publishing my work. The focus of my research is on Generation Y employees and their success in the work place.  I do feel that there are opportunities on how to lead these employees who make up a substantial part of our workforce and it is important to find out what works for them so they can excel in their workplace while also helping their organization succeed.