Keeping going - together - with Dr Angela Duckworth

If you fell in love with Angela Duckworth at this year’s Nordic Business Forum, or have just gotten excited about her new book, Situated, which has just arrived, here’s a chance for a personal and warm encounter with her.

We had a chance to hang out and catch up when she was in Helsinki and decided to bring a microphone and invite you to join us.

We talk about grit, sisu, human capacity, and writing books - but mostly, I think, we talk about the relational side of agency. As Angela says:

“Grit is great. But it’s just not enough.”

To me, it’s comforting and hope-giving to see the conversation moving more and more toward the realization that our strength doesn’t have to come from us alone - and, in fact, it can’t.

No matter who you are, life is, at times, a lot to navigate. The lengths we go to to achieve, endure, and survive are unfathomable and of course, inspiring, too. But too many people go there far too alone, because we’ve created systems and organizational cultures that miss out on the power of a safe and supportive collective, and the social resilience that can emerge from it.

At the same time, there is so much goodness happening through sharing, helping, loving, and caring. All of us have stories to share about someone who 'made us' or made something possible for us. However, I believe that the closer we get to the human 'being' side of nature from the human 'doing' we'll unlock even more of this capacity.

We talk in this conversation about the people and situations that shape us, our shared journey, and the power of mentoring - including the difference another person can make simply by seeing something in us before we are able to see it ourselves.

Thank you, Angela, for being that person for me - and for so many others.

Situate yourself to Angela's work and research at angeladuckworth.com!

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Sisu is a Finnish word for a reserve of inner strength, but it’s also a way to positively impact the world. Cultivating this inner fortitude starts with self-inquiry and getting our self-care in order, and from there, extends into courage and community. Its power ultimately reaches into the world through inspired acts of compassion and positive change.

Thanks for tuning in! Find out more about sisu, explore the research, and check out Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (2023) & Sisun alkemia (2025) at www.sisulab.com.

Sisu is great, but sisu, together with love, is greatness.