Psychology of Workplaces

Explore workplace dynamics thru a psychological lens to examine professional challenges from various angles, offering valuable insights and practical strategies for improving all things work — managing conflict, building stronger teams, integrating technology — the list goes on.

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Personal Development | Leadership | Self-Awareness

When Grit Hurts Your Growth

Many leaders fail not because they lack strength, but because they lack balance

8 min readApr 28, 2025

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A woman laying in quiet contemplation behind palm fronds and leaves
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The silence had a tightness like held breath.

“You’re excused,” said Ben.

The team, over the moon to be released from the tension, practically tripped over on the way out.

I walked from my place at the back of the room observing and sat next to Ben at the head of the table.

“You might not feel like it, but that went quite well,” I said.

Ben still hadn’t looked up from staring at the table, off somewhere miles away with his thoughts. Jaw clenched. Eyes tense.

We were at a fork in the road. Would he make the right choice?

“Well they certainly didn’t hold back,” he said.

“Exactly,” I said. “Now it’s up to you to reward that honesty with action.”

This meeting was the culmination of weeks of coaching.

He’d come to me with a simple problem: he wanted to improve some recurring issues in his team. After brainstorming and going back and forth, something became painfully clear.

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Psychology of Workplaces
Psychology of Workplaces

Published in Psychology of Workplaces

Explore workplace dynamics thru a psychological lens to examine professional challenges from various angles, offering valuable insights and practical strategies for improving all things work — managing conflict, building stronger teams, integrating technology — the list goes on.

Tobias Charles
Tobias Charles

Written by Tobias Charles

I write about leadership, learning, and personal growth. I love helping others get the best out of themselves, and I love finding out what I didn’t know!

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