About the book
Lessons from women who got there first.
At nineteen, Shannon Huffman Polson became the youngest woman to climb Denali. Years later she became one of the Army’s first women attack helicopter pilots, and led an Apache flight platoon on deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina. That is where she learned the leadership lessons that changed her life.
In The Grit Factor she brings those lessons together with the candid stories of women who led at the highest levels of the military, including Heather Penney, one of the first women to fly the F-16; General Ann Dunwoody, the Army’s first woman four-star general; and Amy McGrath, the first woman Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat.
Who it’s for: current and aspiring leaders, women and men, in any sector; anyone facing a crucible at work and looking for a way through; teams and organizations building strong, inclusive cultures.
The Grit Triad
The framework at the heart of the book.
Commit
Understand yourself and your own foundations for leadership and grit.
Learn
Build your team, practice active listening, and form the mindset and habits that grow grit and resilience.
Launch
Stay grounded in the past, engaged in the present, and move toward the future with audacity, authenticity and adaptability.
Praise for The Grit Factor
What leaders are saying.
“I wish the working world was such that we didn’t need The Grit Factor, but we do need it. With a jillion books out there on leadership, this one is truly one of a kind, a giant and unique step forward. I can imagine it dramatically changing thousands of lives. And though men are not the primary audience, we can all learn from the amazing stories and practical steps laid out here in plain English. Bravo, Shannon Polson!”
“Shannon Polson’s story and the stories of the remarkable military women she profiles, as well as the essential leadership principles and techniques these stories illustrate, will inspire and instruct new generations of leaders in any context. A must-read.”
“With compelling and page-turning stories of resilience and adaptability, The Grit Factor is a groundbreaking book about women who took on the stereotypes and blew right past them. Practical, accessible, and inspirational, this is the leadership book we’ve been waiting for.”
“The hard truth is that we have a long way to go before women are treated equally, at work and elsewhere. Until then, we need The Grit Factor. Shannon Polson has it, and she showcases it in the inspiring and instructive stories of these amazing women leaders.”
“If you aspire to become an outstanding leader, this book is a must-read.”
“The book draws together both Huffman Polson’s experience and that of other high ranking women in the US military. Together their insights form an easy to follow structure that allows any current or aspiring female leader to understand what really drives them and build confidence and resilience.”
“… it will help inform leaders at any level who want to build strong inclusive cultures within their organizations.”
“…an intelligent and informative book on leadership authored by an inspiring woman is an essential addition to one’s library.”
Supplemental reading resources
For book clubs and classrooms
Shannon has also compiled a reading guide for book clubs as well as a teaching guide that corresponds with The Grit Factor.
Photos
The Grit Factor at events and bookstores.
Go further
Put the book to work.
The Grit Institute
Lead Like Lives Depend On It.
One of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter, Shannon Huffman Polson is a keynote speaker on courage, resilience and purpose. She teaches leaders to thrive under pressure, build high performing teams in a culture of accountability, and lead with grit when it counts.