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Developing a Growth Mindset

By March 20, 2021January 4th, 2024No Comments

A growth mindset is an important skill for leaders. The term “growth mindset” was first coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, who identified two types mindsets. A fixed mindset- which is the belief that you have a fixed amount of talent and abilities and a growth mindset which is the belief that the your talent and abilities can grow with effort.  Persons with a fixed mindset tend to be more concerned with being and looking talented while those with a growth mindset are more concerned with developing themselves. In addition, research has shown that persons with a growth mindset have a healthier attitude towards learning, desire feedback, and are better able to handle set backs.

Leaders play an important role of developing the mindsets of their people for good or bad. So what can you do to help your team? This article from Stacy Pollack at Glassdoor, provides some very practical steps that leaders can take to develop and encourage a growth mindset in themselves and their teams. Happy reading. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-develop-growth-mindset-at-work/

Carol Dweck found three rules associated with mindsets:

Rule 1

Fixed  mindset: Look talented at all costs

Growth mindset: Learn, learn, learn

What does this look like in every day life? If given a choice between a project that is challenging or one in which you know they would excel easily, those with a growth mindset would choose the challenge because even though they care about excelling, they care more about learning.

Rule 2

Fixed mindset: Don’t work to hard or practise too much

Growth mindset: Work with passion and dedication- effort is key

Those with a fixed mindset believe that your natural ability will make your performance effortless. A such, even the most talented persons with a fixed mindset will find difficult to go further when they reach the limits of their natural ability. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset recognise that effort increases their ability over time.

Rule 3

Fixed mindset: When faced with setbacks, run away or conceal your deficiencies

Growth mindset: Embrace your mistakes and confront your deficiencies

In the fixed mindsets this manifests itself in avoiding the area of failure, making excuses and blaming others.

Alison

Author Alison

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