The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World

by Shannon Huffman Polson

What does it take for women to succeed in a male-dominated world? The Grit Factor.

At age nineteen, Shannon Huffman Polson became the youngest woman ever to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America. She went on to reach the summits of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro and spent more than a decade traveling the world. Yet it was during her experience serving as one of the Army's first female attack helicopter pilots, and eventually leading an Apache flight platoon on deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina, that she learned the lessons of leadership that forever changed her life.

Where did these insights come from? From her own crucibles of experience—and from other women. In writing The Grit Factor, Polson made it her mission to connect with an elite pack of tough, impressive female iconoclasts who shared with her their candid stories of combat and career. This slate of decorated leaders includes Heather Penney, one of the first female F-16 pilots, who was put on a suicide mission for 9/11; General Ann Dunwoody, the first female four-star general in the Army; Amy McGrath, the first female Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat and a 2020 candidate for the US Senate—and dozens of other unstoppable women who got there first, including Polson herself.

These women led at the highest levels in the most complicated, challenging, and male-dominated organization in the world. Now, in the post–#MeToo era, when positive role models of women leading are needed as never before, Polson brings these voices together, sharing her own life lessons and theirs with storytelling flair, keen insight, and incisive analysis of current research.

With its gripping narrative and relatable takeaways, The Grit Factor is both inspiring and pragmatic, a book that will energize and enlighten current and aspiring leaders everywhere—whether male or female.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, Biography, Professional Development, Womens, Memoir

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2020

About the author

Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World (Harvard Business Review Press 2020) and North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey. (Zondervan/Harper Collins, 2013). She writes in all genres exploring the ideas of borders.

Polson's book, The Grit Factor, a synthesis of lessons and stories from three years of interviews of women general officers, fighter pilots, submariners and others was published by Harvard Business Review Press in September 2020, and has been awarded an Axiom Book Award.

Her first book, North of Hope, was released in 2013 by Zondervan/Harper Collins. In 2015 Polson released The Way the Wild Gets Inside: Field Notes from Alaska, a slim volume of essays. Her first fiction is included in the anthology The Road Ahead, published in early 2017. Polson's essays and articles appear in a number of literary magazines and periodicals, including honorable mention in the 2022 Words and Music Contest at Peaudunque Review (including publication), finalist in the Veteran's Writing Award for Iowa Review, and honorable mention in the 2015 VanderMey Nonfiction Contest (an essay later republished in the Utne Reader) and an excerpt from her working manuscript, Some/One in River Teeth Journal. Her work is anthologized in several publications.

Polson was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew up loving the outdoors. After studying English Literature at Duke, she headed from the ivory tower to the tarmac of Ft. Rucker, AL, where she flew Apaches in the first crop of women attack helicopter pilots. An MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth transitioned her to five years in marketing at two companies. Now she's back in the books, and back in love. Polson has scuba dived on three continents, sky dived on two, and climbed the highest mountain in North America and Africa.

When she's not writing, she speaks to corporate and social audiences around the country on leadership, GRIT, and purpose as well as running The Grit Institute, an online training development platform dedicated to developing courageous leaders for a better world.

Other times she can be found in the mountains of Washington and Alaska with her husband and sons, working to build a new library in her small community (winthroplibraryfriends.org), and lay leading an Episcopal church start-up. In 2009 Polson was awarded the Trailblazer Woman of Valor award by Senator Maria Cantwell. Polson earned her MFA in Creative Non-fiction from Seattle Pacific University in August of 2012.

Find Polson at www.linkedin.com/in/shannonhpolson, IG at instagram.com/shannonhpolson, www.twitter.com/aborderlife and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShannonHPolson

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a 24-year-old female student with admittedly little life experience but big ambitions. I recognize that the only way to get there is equally by working hard and taking advice from people who did make it. For this reason, "The Grit Factor" is probably the most helpful book to lay my hands on at this time of my life.

First, Shannon Huffman Polson is a insanely accomplished woman in both mountain climbing and combat. Her experience as an attack helicopter pilot makes her a true authority in decision-making, courage and persistence. However, this book is not a memoir, but rather a career and leadership self-help book which puts together stories of various accomplished women, advice and exercises to take your "Grit Factor" to the next level. The book is divided into there parts: Commit, Learn and Launch, which allow for an organized and progressive learning experience. The pointed exercises at the end of each chapter make it not only an inspiring read, but also a highly practical one.

I definitely feel like I got a big motivational kick out of this book, as well as a solid commitment to my own career goals. It's a 5 star read not only thanks to its content, but also the author's authentic voice; it would have been so easy for her to write a self-praising book (I MEAN, have you seen her bio?!), but instead she used a collection of empowered women's experiences in order to write something phenomenal.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly remarkable book! The stories of great women featured here will serve not just as inspiration to those in military but also to the countless women of the world who navigate the daily challenges of realizing and living up their true potentials.

I like the way the author coalesced the narratives, dialogues, and the nuggets of learnings for the readers. The vivid narration of the stories added to the impact of the messages being conveyed. As a reader, I can feel the hardship, pain, fear, and triumph of these women as I read through the pages.

More importantly this book will not just resonate to women. The lessons equality applies to those who face the challenges of bringing the best of themselves to the world while dealing with limitations brought about by society.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to HBR Press and Felicia Sinusas for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Happy pub day to THE GRIT FACTOR, by Shannon Huffman Polson!

I heard Shannon speak at a Harvard Business Review webinar about grit, inspired by her words and courage. When I learned she had a book on the same topic being released, I reached out to Felicia to request an ARC. She kindly sent one my way (thank you)!

The subtitle for THE GRIT FACTOR is “Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World” and it reads like a handbook for navigating jobs, cultures, and situations full of testosterone.

Shannon was one of the Army’s first female attack helicopter pilots, and when she was 19, she became the youngest woman to climb Mt. McKinley. This gal knows grit, and she has it in spades.

As a female working in the tech space, this book is a must-read. I loved the anecdotes Shannon compiled from multiple female voices, weaving in her own experiences. But I’d say anyone — not only women — could benefit from reading this book.

While a quick and short read (256 pages), my biggest issue with the book is that the language can be a bit dry and academic, which made it harder for me to stay focused. I’d often have to re-read sentences and paragraphs to fully absorb them. This is the first HBR Press book I’ve read so I’m not sure if that’s the expected style of the publisher.

THE GRIT FACTOR goes beyond memoir and into handbook/reference guide with exercises at the end of each chapter. From activities to reflections and prompts, its usefulness is expanded to create immediate, actionable steps you can take.

[Joanna Bastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone wishing to build resilience and courage. An essential skill set in these divided times when it can be daunting to stand up for a better work environment, community, and world.

[Mary Sweitz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Throughout this book I struggled maintaining interest and desire to continue reading. It took me over 8 months to finish, and I account this time to the fact that a large majority of the book is interview excerpts and personnel descriptions of only individuals in the military. Which is fine, except the connection back to leadership in anyone’s work/life was so lacking that I truly felt like I was reading a dictionary of military terms and descriptions of military training/fighting. The last chapter was enjoyable, and I did like how the author included exercises at the end of each chapter to put into practice what she was hoping to get across. Overall, not for me.

[Andreanolon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Huffman Polson is an inspiration!

[Got Twins-Need Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable inspirational read!

[Thor Toms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Worth reading for both men and women.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent book on the balance between embracing femininity (and what comes with it) and striving for assertiveness. Some of the examples the author mentions are so harsh, you can't help yourself but think "okay, my problem looks much easier now". Nevertheless, this book feels very natural and honest, and it introduces the reader to so many dedicated women with deep sense of purpose. The "I just won't quit" summary the author mentions resonates so much probably with any woman trying to excel in a male-dominated environment, so despite the difference of professions, many examples do feel familiar even if you're not in the military.
However, taking a star off, because the author didn't learn that Soviet != Russian, and the USSR was made of so many different nations, not just Russians. It's offensive to call all USSR nations "Russians".

[Brookelen Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me to have a few A-Ha moments and pull some things together that will really improve my life. It is very motivational and def worth the read especially for women in male dominated fields.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me a book about a strong woman any day! I absolutely loved this one. I feel like so many little girls need to know this story. Participating in a "mans world" is rough on women and seeing how other strong women navigate it, helps the rest of us. This would be a great graduation gift for a young woman or an important read for a young man who is struggling with how women are seen in the world.

[Byron Edgington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Huffman Polson’s engaging book is not what I’d expected, but it’s better. I anticipated a memoir/war story/there I was tale. It is that kind of book, partly. Mostly it’s a deep study into what motivates people, or should, and the various things that hold people back, especially women in a man’s world.

The Grit Factor, when one acquires it, allows them to succeed, often despite their self doubts, the ‘imposter syndrome’, their focus on the obstacle rather than the goal, and in general peoples’ ‘grit and determination'. The author was the first woman to fly and deploy (to Bosnia) in the Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. She knows whereof she speaks, because she tried a few of the traditional routes for success, found them wanting, and discerned her own. The Grit Factor details that path.

Huffman Polson cites the admonition from Isaiah, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’ She was privileged growing up, and took that biblical mantra to heart, finding a life of service, in the words of Frederick Beuchner ‘where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger coincide.’ Her deep gladness was service, and particularly toward women who’d mentored her, many of whom were interviewed for the book, and for those younger women in need of mentoring.

She writes about Katie Higgins, first woman to fly with the Navy’s elite demo team the Blue Angels. She tells us about General Nadja West, first black female surgeon general in the U.S. Army. Alda Siebrands, a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, Edna Davis, who flew Martin B-26 bombers during WW2, Bessie Coleman, Angel Hughes, even Uhura, the black female navigator on Star Trek.

Huffman Polson writes about ‘the 5 whys’, changing the narrative to bring success, about ‘tailboom counseling,’ and ‘muddy boots leadership’, and listening skills that are a key to leadership, because we’re all hard-wired toward a bias for action, which pressures us to do something, instead of just listening. The Ask—Listen—Pause treatment can enrich and embellish a decision, she says.

As for advice, she offers this: That we need to ‘draw the circle,’ to figure out who our friends are. We must actively search for mentors, a difficult obstacle for women, she says, because asking for help can be seen as weakness. She advises that the tough navigation is steering clear of negative people, because they bring nothing helpful to the table. In a surprising discovery, she advises women in positions of power over men to be cautious of jealous wives and girlfriends who may feel threatened. In addition, she advises women not to try pleasing everyone—something women find themselves doing—but to be their authentic selves, however difficult that is. She quotes Eleanor Roosevelt here: You not only have a right to be yourself; you have an obligation to be yourself.

The good news, for women, about the last bit of advice is that, as the author says, good leaders always care for their people, something that women seem to be better at than men. As for facing failure, she offers another interesting finding: Don’t be afraid to find people who have failed, she says, because you’ll know how they reacted to that failure.

This reader found an answer in the book to a question that has persisted for more than 50 years: How to explain my ambivalence about Vietnam? Huffman Polson may offer that it’s because I was unable to take ownership of the rationale and conduct of that long-ago war in South Asia. That few of us who fought there believed in it enough to make it our own, and to embrace the benefits that would have followed. Finally, she states that, as every pilot knows, facing into the wind equals lift. Likewise, facing our fears, the wind in our faces, creates the same affect, lifting us just as surely on our personal wings.

The Grit Factor is highly recommended. In an aside to the author, I thought the book review essay idea for OERs was excellent. The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could relate to many of the author’s narratives in the book. Having often been the only woman or one of few females in my Air Defense unit in the early eighties and nineties, the disappointments, astonishments, and disrespect washed over me numerous times. I applaud her tenacity and courage to write this book.

Ms. Polson is a master of words and easily captured the basic tenets of good leadership. People are our greatest resource, no matter what field you are in the workforce.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

[Natalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Grit Factor” by Shannon Huffman Polson digs into what creates grit in someone and how grit can be learned. Polson uses her life experience, as well as the stories of other successful military women. Inspirational and practical, this book is definitely an interesting read.

As a military spouse, I always find it interesting to read about women in the military. I know the culture and the climate, but from a spouse perspective I don't see what my husband sees. This book was especially interesting to me because Polson was a pilot for the Army, which feels familiar as my husband is training to fly for the Navy. Many of the stories of women pilots reference Pensacola or Corpus Christi, so I feel a little more connected.

Polson echos Angela Duckworth's research on grit and provides her own application of tactics to gain grit. Many of the stories center around military missions, occupations, etc, so perhaps this book would be better received by someone in military training (especially women). I found it interesting to hear the lessons the military taught her, but it wasn't really applicable to me.

As with most self-help books, there are universal truths for everyone. Some things could be applied in the workplace, but I don't find myself in a male dominant field. I think I've faced more questions about my age than my gender in my time working. This book fills a real need in many work spaces though, so perhaps my perspective isn't the clearest to understand or empathize. I think would have loved to hear some corporate voices thrown in to balance things a little bit for the average reader.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. If nothing else, this book is inspirational for women. It encourages you to be audaciously yourself and push yourself towards any goal you desire. Grit can be learned, the question is where will you need it?

Thanks to NetGalley and Harvard Business Review Press for the ARC!

[Julie Cutler · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might think this book is a memoir but it is so much more than that. Shannon Huffman Polson supports life lessons through stories of amazing women, as well as her own, to help us learn about such things as courage, resilience, and leadership. This book will speak to all, not just women, because it helps reflect on one's purpose. Maybe you are just getting started on a career or you are feeling stuck in a job that you've been at for years. At the end of every section, there are exercises to help you reflect on what you read and really think about your life. Shannon Huffman Polson is a storyteller but also someone that helps bring out the deep questions that everyone should consider in their own lives. I highly recommend this book!

[Amy Conway-Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read on life lessons and overcoming adversity. It’s about more than Grit.

Shannon’s book is one you’ll want to tab and read more than once. Laden with inspirational, candid, gritty and humble stories of women and men who have served in the toughest jobs in the world and under the toughest circumstances, Shannon offers life lessons for all of us who strive to understand our own purpose and what it takes to lead and thrive in work and life - and, above all, to overcome adversity when it matters most.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have so much respect for women who have endured and been amazingly successful in male-dominated environments. Polson is indeed one of these women and my respect for her is immense. Having said that, this book was VERY hard to for me to get through. The small saving grace was the final 3 chapters where there were actually a taste of real life stories from military women who have persevered; a taste that was lacking in the majority of the book.

The beginning chapters were like a very boring, very obvious set of "rules on how to succeed." I know Polson's intention was to teach people how to have grit, but that's not something you can teach in 200 pages, or maybe even at all. Grit is personal and its honestly not the same as success or leadership (which, in my opinion, is really more what the beginning chapters focus on teaching) and not everyone has it or can have it.

Further, the title of the book and the synopsis are misleading. The stories from military women are few and far between, often comments or single paragraph summaries rather than true, deep and amazing stories that I'm sure these women could tell. If I had know this was going to be one of those sort of self-help books about becoming your best you, I would have skipped and moved right past. I thought it was a book of collected stories from amazing women. A very sad disappointment and honestly the wrong direction (again, in my opinion) for the book.

I've read other books with a similar focus on self-betterment in hopes of success in difficult life situations that were more thorough and honestly more impactful. Kudos to Polson for all of her success in the military and beyond, but I would hesitate to recommend this book to anyone in search of self-help or anyone in search of a narrative from military women about their experiences because the book falls short on both counts.

I received this book free from via goodreads, but I was not required to provide a review. My opinions are honest and unsolicited.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

2021 - Sibling Reading Challenge

Wow. There is a metaphorical mountain, and I mean that literally, to unpack. In order to provide an objective review the first question always needs to be: Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?


Why did I read THIS book. Because it was highly rated on influential books by veterans.
Why did I read this book. Because I made a promise to read two books a month from a demographic that was not my own.
Why did I make that promise? Because I have blind spots and I cannot be better unless I address this dearth of knowledge.
Why do I want to have a broader base of knowledge? Because I have sisters, nieces, and loved ones and I want to be able to support them with sound and critical advice.
Why do I want to be able to provide advice? It’s less about the advice and more of just being ready with an answer.

So. Did I find an appropriate answer to my “why?” Yes and no. I found that this book was styled along the lines as a self-help grocery store book aisle novel. I was disappointed in that. What I wanted was a novel that detailed great and powerful women that overcame adversity and could serve as role models for others. Did I find more books that might suit me purpose, yes. So the review is balanced; not good, not bad. Because there were parts that I tore through with gusto, only to resignedly sigh when it was, to me, unceremoniously cut short.

[Srinivasan Tatachari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a very timely and insight-laden experience of women related to the armed forces. Shannon writes in a very honest way and that comes across as someone telling you things from her heart. She weaves in her own experience in the armed forces and the leadership lessons that she picked up along the way, even after leaving the military, and with those of other women military leaders.

The only downside that I felt was getting confused at multiple places whether the story was shannon’s experience or one of the other leaders. Also since they were all from the armed forces it wasn’t easy for me to remember them as they got referenced later in the book as well. However, this was not a big downside since the learnings and lessons come out well irrespective.

Shannon has bolstered her learnings with appropriate scientific research from leading scholars in psychology and organizational research. This adds a lot of support to her learnings. She supports each of her commit, learn and launch themes with lot of practical frameworks (questions/exercises) which make it very practical.

All in all I think this is a good book to look at resilience and grit against all odds (just like the current pandemic situation), and in a very gendered context.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an advanced copy of this book on Goodreads. An engaging read about the grit and never give up attitudes of women in the military. It takes special people to accomplish their goals but overall it is the resilience and determination that gets them there. The book discusses how fear paralyzes us into giving up or not trying at all. Too many people nowadays feel they are entitled to everything in the world without the effort put into it, too many people have a chip on their shoulder feeling that somebody is holding them down, and they play the victims card on why they are held back instead of looking inwards towards themselves on why they failed and realizing the only person holding them back is themselves. We all fail sometimes but not everybody does something about it, it is about getting back up and finish what we started. This book shows some motivational strategy tips in getting there as well at the end of each chapter. This book can be read by both women and men although it tells the tales of women in leadership roles and how they got there with grit and courage and having the never give up philosophy in life.

[Jamica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book presents a great framework for building grit, peppered with examples from interviews taken from various successful women in the military. I found the second part of the book most useful with the most practical advice on building the right relationships, cultivating the ability to listen and building resilience as it relates with o leadership.

I think the book in general could have worked better with more focus on the framework itself rather than the military, but that might be a due to some cognitive dissonance that I’ve had to constantly put in check while reading the book. I have to admit, I am not much of a fan of warfare and the military as an organisation - this makes it hard for me to appreciate the author’s experience and some advice unrelatable. Still, the framework the author has put together is something I find valuable, so it was well worth the read and finishing until the end.

[Roy Peek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read, true values on leadership, but the key is Grit, Grit + Leadership will allow the individuals to do so much more. Polson had outstanding stories of leaders that overcame adversity and with determination and GRIT made amazing triumphs.

Even with all the issues and challenge, never, never, never give up. And after a life chattering experience, Polson’s grandmother made it clear, “Keep on Keeping On”, that was the summary of the building to do great things we must be moving forward each and every day.

For any young ladies, this is a good book about beating all the odds and with you on personal resiliency you will achieve great things.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Leaders know they must consciously cultivate the mindset that helps you move forward..." This was another read I selected with the hope of gleaming wisdom on how to better address failures, discouragement, and fear.

While cliche at times, Polson does a great job weaving valuable, articulate lessons from her own life and from the lives of many other inspiring women. It has a "workbook" feel to it, including sections at the end of each chapter with reflection questions and actionable ideas. Will definitely be revisiting some of them for future reference.

Particularly enjoyed the chapters on narrative psychology (pg 23) and the Stockdale paradox (pg 123).

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much helpful information in this book! This book is especially helpful for women, who don't often get encouraged to develop Grit. The stories about real women with Grit, are inspirational and encouraging. Then the author describes how to develop your own Grit. Do you have what it takes? Surprisingly, you just may need the examples and tips in this book, to find your Grit, and learn ways to grow your own Grit and determination to succeed in whatever project or job you are tackling!

[chantalla_marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Shannon Huffman Polson shares many pieces of practical advice on how to lean in and develop your grit factor. Although I appreciated the learnings weaved throughout the book, Shannon only pulled military based stories - this is less a part of Canadian culture and was harder to relate to as a reader. The narrative also suggested acceptance of sexual harassment and discrimination against women in leadership roles. Despite these criticisms, the packaging of her learnings, and the questions available at the end of each chapter, hold value on how to develop your grit.

[Natalie Palmquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the exposure to an area of work (and basically of society) that I'm not very familiar with, namely, the military. She draws practical conclusions from the lives of incredibly successful and inspiring women that can be applied to any career path. I can definitely recommend the read especially for people reflecting on how to get the most out of thier career path.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author was trying to weave together factual information (studies about leadership, purpose, quotes from experts, etc) and stories from women in the military. The balance between the two wasn't right. This is more of a self-help book with exercises at the chapter's end and I was already familiar with many of the concepts. There were some good nuggets of info. but overall, I was left with thinking 'it was ok' and I'm glad it was only 200 pages.

[Maj · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grit Factor is a fresh perspective of leadership and the grit required to achieve success in a world where the glass ceiling (and all that this antiquated term mean/meant) is still a as much a reality for women as any minority. Written by a woman for a woman, with insightful questions to help the reader develop her own story, the book not only delivers a strong message to help women better understand how to develop skills that underpin leadership, but do so in a highly personalized and unique form that echos and builds on the uniqueness of the individual woman. In other words, it's neither a one size fits all approach nor a leadership book written for men.

Each chapter includes a closing section aimed at helping the reader identify their unique story, and exercises for translating that story to actionable plans. Highly recommend this book for women of all ages and backgrounds, whether starting a career or looking to be a better version of themselves.

Thank you, Goodreads and Shannon Huffman Polson, for the opportunity to review this book and offer my unbiased critique!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sage leadership advice

If you want to live a life of leadership in any capacity, read this book. Take it to heart. Important details about how to listen, how to deal with adversity and the nitty gritty details of mentorship are all here.

Take it from someone who read this book for the military aviation action: you WILL get life lessons from this book!

[Lucas Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected to gain more from this book but it was choppy and a little unorganized. There wasn’t much in here that I didn’t already know but the stories told are decent. I support women in being equal with men but this book was a little underwhelming than what it set out to be.