How to Think Like a Winner: Developing a Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Performance can often be attributed to mindset.

Those driven by a ‘Growth Mindset’ believe there is nothing they can’t learn and no situation they can’t figure out. They believe they can develop and grow – no matter the subject matter.

They embrace challenges, welcome feedback, and aren’t afraid to fail. This kind of mindset creates high performers.

By contrast, those driven by a ‘Fixed Mindset’ perceive change and challenge as threats.

They believe they’re only good at certain things and are reluctant to take on new endeavours. These people are less willing to take risks, fail, and collaborate – and as a result, tend to be low performers.

The good news is: Mindsets can be changed—and so can performance—by shifting to a Growth Mindset.

How a Growth Mindset Powers Performance

The future of work (FOW) will be shaped by automation and artificial intelligence. This means businesses that fail to adapt will become obsolete.

Businesses must prepare and upgrade the skills of their employees, especially if they don’t want to be crushed by more advanced companies.

Sadly, a large portion of the workforce isn’t ready for the changes that face them.

They aren’t ready because they’re driven by a Fixed Mindset. The important thing to note is that you can help your employees achieve success by helping them develop a different way of thinking about things.

Fixed Mindsets are Threatened by Change

People often perceive changes and challenges as threats. When a threat is present, a person’s ability to think, learn, adapt, and recover is limited.

Growth Mindsets Remove the Threat

Perceived threats occur through triggers. People can learn to understand their fixed mindset triggers and practise shifting away from them.

Teams With a Growth Mindset Drive High Performance

Teams that practice shifting to a Growth Mindset examine issues more effectively, respond swiftly to change, receive feedback confidently, show resilience, and pursue innovation.

Professor Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset

Professor Carol Dweck is an American psychologist who specialises in research on mindset – specifically related to motivation, personality, and development. Her theory on growth mindset states that talent and ability can be developed and that intelligence and natural gifts are just the starting point.

Growth Mindset programs have been used to impact organizational change in companies across the world. They have been implemented by many companies including Airbnb and Microsoft.

Here are a few red flags of false Growth Mindset consulting:

• Merely introducing concepts without tying them to individual behaviour, practises—and most important—to results.

  
  

• While Growth Mindset stretches performance beyond previous levels, it is fundamentally a practice that opens up new paths and increases resilience after setbacks. It is a never-ending journey, not a one-and-done silver bullet.

  
  

• Using ‘Fixed Mindset’ as a negative term that is used to blame or shame others. Fixed Mindsets are part of everyone and never simply ‘go away.’ Identifying them and working with them is a lifelong journey. Fixed Mindsets actually become pathways of development when people learn to consciously shift them to a Growth Mindsets.

  
  

• Often taught by people who have not undertaken the Growth Mindset journey themselves. They have not studied the underlying psychology and neuroscience and cannot speak to their own triggers and behaviour. Lacking expertise, their ‘Growth Mindset’ approach is superficial and incapable of organizing a culture change within an organization.

This article was previously published here.