Grit, Ghosts, and the North Star

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Passion for long-term goals, like loving something and staying in love with it.  Not kind of wandering off and doing something else, and then something else again, and then something else again, but having a kind of North Star.
ANGELA DUCKWORTH

It’s spooky season—that time of year when everything from the neighbor’s yard to our inboxes is full of ghosts, ghouls, and people trying to scare us into buying pumpkin spice candles.

But the scariest thing for leaders?
Not monsters.  Not markets.  It’s losing their way.

Because truly effective and impactful leadership—the kind that endures—demands something far rarer than brains or talent.  It takes grit:  That magical blend of passion and perseverance that keeps us moving toward a purpose even when the fog rolls in, the lights flicker, and every shortcut looks tempting.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as the “passion for long-term goals, like loving something and staying in love with it” married with perseverance to long term goals. 

That’s not just poetic, it’s profoundly practical.  Purpose-driven leaders understand this at a deep, soul level.  They’ve found their North Star, and even when the night gets dark, they don’t stop walking.

The Dark Swamp of Despair (and Other Fun Leadership Landmarks)
Duckworth describes what every achiever faces sooner or later: “the dark swamp of despair.”  It’s that place where enthusiasm fades, results lag, and your brilliant initiative starts to look like Frankenstein’s monster, stitched together and stumbling forward mostly out of stubbornness.

Sound familiar?

That’s where grit shows up.

It’s what keeps you practicing, refining, and showing up again when the world says, “Maybe it’s time to move on.”

But here’s the twist:  Grit doesn’t exist in a vacuum.  It feeds on purpose.  Without a sense of “why,” perseverance turns into mere endurance.  And endurance without meaning burns leaders out faster than a jack-o’-lantern left in the Texas sun.

Purpose Is the Fuel; Grit is the Engine
Purpose-driven leadership gives grit its direction.  It transforms hard days into meaningful days and obstacles into opportunities to live out our values.

When leaders reconnect with purpose—whether it’s developing others, serving a community, or shaping a vision larger than themselves—they find the motivation to get back up, again and again.

And when teams see their leader moving forward with conviction and heart, it spreads. Purpose-driven grit is contagious. It’s what turns a group of individuals into a unified force capable of remarkable things — and keeps them inspired long after the novelty wears off.

Your North Star is Still There
So this month, as the nights get longer and the calendar gets busier, take a quiet moment to look up.  Remind yourself why you started.  Name your North Star.  Then, no matter how many ghosts of doubt or goblins of distraction come knocking — keep going.

Because leadership isn’t about never getting lost.  It’s about remembering what you’re walking toward.

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Have an amazing journey today!

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Alan Mikolaj is an author, seasoned coach, and leadership development consultant with over 20 years of experience.  He is passionate about helping leaders transform their leadership, their teams, and their organizations.  He has an impactful, professional approach driven by a passion for meaning and purpose, a growth mindset, and a commitment to excellence and service in order to drive change and results.

Alan holds his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and maintains their ethics and standards of behavior, including the standards regarding confidentiality.  You can learn more about them on the ICF website.

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