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Welcome to another edition of B-Well, a 30-minute webinar series, highlighting tips, resources, and coping skills from leading wellbeing experts to support you and your families. Prior episodes featured Thrive Global founder Arianna Huffington, renowned Buddhist meditation practitioner and author Jack Kornfield, award-winning comedian Trevor Noah, and pioneering psychiatrist Kim Norman. 

Today we talk with Jerry Colonna, founder of executive coaching and leadership development firm Reboot and an early Silicon Valley venture capitalist.

Colonna has practiced meditation for the last 17 years and incorporates that and his Buddhist education into his work and personal life. He believes better humans make better leaders. It’s the foundation of the work he and his team do through Reboot.

In this vein, he says we need to work on finding “true grit” over “false grit.” The difference between the two? False grit, whether in professional or in personal life, can be reckless and dangerous, it’s the idea of doubling down on old patterns, gripping the steering wheel and bearing down. True grit, on the other hand, is kind. It’s persistent. It’s believing in one’s inherent lovability and kindness.

Colonna also feels this pandemic provides a true opportunity to unite us. “Here’s the thing,” he says. “Never in our lives have we been able to use the phrase, without hyperbole, “all of humanity.”

To share in more of Colonna’s enlightenment (and hear what he means by “coconuts of wakefulness”), watch the video in full below.

The B-Well series is part of a larger Leading Through Change initiative, providing thought leadership, tips, and resources to help business leaders manage through crises. Check out some of our most recent articles: