Today's "gritty" is 1990's "nimble". Every decade or so, another buzzword emerges to indicate a personality that can roll with the punches, think for themselves

Today's "gritty" is 1990's "nimble". Every decade or so, another buzzword emerges to indicate a personality that can roll with the punches, think for themselves, and not get stuck on small problems. Other phrases which we hear all the time are "self-starter" and "ability to work independently". Sure, some companies may try to take advantage of those qualities by pushing workers too far, but I would say that's more determined by a given company's corporate culture, and not just because they're using specific buzzwords like "gritty".