Why is the growth mindset important?
It changes the way that you perceive living life every day. It allows you to have a new lens on your life and to redefine what is possible. Believing in a growth mindset doesn’t make you fixated on what your brain’s IQ is. It allows you to take control of what you are willing to put the forth effort in. The growth mindset allows learners to achieve the potential that was never thought to be achievable before.
What should you know about a growth mindset?
The growth mindset is a changeable ability that can be developed through learning. They are those who would rather be most improved over the season of a sport than the most valuable player. Those in this mindset believe that an assessment at one point in time has little value for understanding someone’s actual ability and potential. They seek out constructive criticism in order to grow and become better. At the beginning of our life, we are entered into the world with a unique genetic endowment and start out with different temperaments, aptitudes, and backgrounds. As life goes on, we live through different life experiences. Through training and honing our learning, it allows our personal effort to pave the way for the rest of the road.
What should you know about a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is a fixed ability that needs to be proven. It is the belief that each baby is born with an unchangeable genetic makeup that will define the rest of their life. Those in this mindset can let the outcome of a test score define them and their intelligence. They allow for a setback to label you and your future ability.
How the growth mindset has influenced me?
Learning about the growth mindset made me believe in lifelong learning and self-educating myself after graduating from college. It was a scary venture for me to start to test the boundaries of what I don’t already know.
After reading about this mindset I started to redefine what was possible. It caused me to no longer hide behind the deficiency that I saw myself of being dyslexic. I visited a reading tutor to change the perception of my ability to read. I started to write a book. I sought out looking for a more interesting job in a field that did not align with my college degree in finance working at a bank. I actually landed a job in leadership development, where I am surrounded by intelligent peers that I learn from every day. I no longer feel the need to prove how great I am by trying out the tried and true approach. I started to look for improvement over time and seek out experiences that would stretch me. My shift to a growth mindset changed how I view myself and the world.
Recommendations to begin thinking in a growth mindset:
Start to build the muscle by noticing in thinking and change the self-talk in your head from “I’m not good at this. This isn’t easy for me. I don’t think I can do this.” → “I’m not good at this YET”
Building new habits as below:
One book to read: Mindset the New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
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I could not recommend this book enough! It explain in 4 different parts of life (business, school, relationships, and parenting) how we as humans can fulfill our potential.
One company’s research to follow: Neuroleadership Institute
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These neuroscientists are at the leading edge of helping to implement a growth mindset at scale for companies.
One TED Talk to watch: The Power of Believing that you can improve
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This TED Talk by Dr. Carol S. Dweck can serve as a great preview before reading the book. Please still read the book.
One Business Case Study Report to download
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NLI compiled all of these case studies to showcase how growth mindset research has impacted companies for the better.
One Article to read: Microsoft Turnaround Lead by Satya Nadella
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Through 3 different steps, Satya Nadella completely transformed the trajectory of where Microsoft was headed to where it is now. A business culture surrounded by the principles of growth mindset is leading this company to an even more successful future.
