Angela Duckworth

Angela Duckworth is an author and Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studies grit and self-control. She believes that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a passionate persistence (what she calls 'grit'). She is the founder of the Character Lab, a non-profit organization, with a mission to advance character development science and practice. Angela received the MacArthur Fellowship award—also known as the 'genius' award. However, when she was in third grade, she didn't test high enough for the 'gifted' class. She tells us this as a testimony to why we should strive not to be the smartest, but the grittiest, in whatever we pursue.