How a growth mindset impacts your life, career, relationships and everything else that matters
When working with leaders, emphasizing the importance of mindset and belief systems starts early in the engagement and continues indefinitely. New leaders, in particular, often struggle to understand the relevance and significance of applying these concepts when developing and managing their own teams and embarking on their leadership development journey.
By definition, a growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, application of effort, and learning. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, where individuals believe that their talents and intelligence are static and cannot be significantly developed.
How does having a growth or fixed mindset present itself in life or in organizations?
Below, are some examples:
Differences between Growth and Fixed Mindset
| Growth Mindset | Fixed Mindset | |
|---|---|---|
| Overcoming Challenges | View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, embraces new ways of being & doing | View challenges as threats, insurmountable obstacles and may avoid them altogether |
| Persistence & Resilience | Likely to persevere in the face of setbacks, viewing failure as a natural part of the learning process | Less likely to overcome obstacles & persevere, prefer to play it safe as failure is seen as a personal inadequacy |
| Adaptability | Views change as an opportunity to learn and improve, embraces new strategies and adjusts easily to new situations | Views change as a threat or inconvenience, resists new approaches, sticks to familiar routines, even if they are ineffective |
| Attitude | Maintains an optimistic outlook, seeing possibilities for improvement, views setbacks as temporary and solvable through effort | Often has a pessimistic outlook, doubting the possibility of improvement, views setbacks as evidence of personal flaws and tends to be discouraged |
| Performance | Focuses on continuous improvement and learning, leading to gradual and sustained performance enhancement, driven by a desire to grow and improve | Performance is static, as there is little effort to develop new skills, driven by a need to prove oneself and avoid failure |
| Learning Over Perfection | Prioritizes learning and process improvement over getting things perfect, views mistakes as a natural part of the learning process | Prioritizes perfect performance and views mistakes as failures, avoids mistakes at all costs, often hindering learning and growth |
| Value of Effort | Believes that effort is key to mastery and success, puts in sustained effort and sees it as a path to improvement | Believes that effort is only necessary for those who lack natural talent, avoids effort, as it is seen as a sign of not being inherently capable |
| Openness to Feedback | Welcomes feedback as a valuable tool for learning and growth, applies feedback to make improvements and adjustments | Often defensive or dismissive of feedback, may ignore or avoid feedback, seeing it as a personal criticism rather than a growth opportunity |
| Strategy | Adapts and refines strategies continuously, adjusts as needed, views strategy as a growth opportunity | Can be rigid, sticks to original strategies, resists change despite new evidence, fears strategy as a potential failure |
| Team Development | Inspires and supports the team, fosters a positive environment, sees mistakes as learning opportunities and encourages risk taking, seeks input and fosters collaboration | Focuses on limitations, creating a critical atmosphere, penalizes mistakes and discourages risk-taking, ignores feedback and prefers independent decision-making |
When you read these differences, it becomes very apparent how possessing a growth mindset can benefit you, your team and your organization. Below are some other areas that are positively impacted by developing a growth mindset.
- Personal Development: A growth mindset encourages continuous personal development. It promotes lifelong learning and self-improvement, leading to a more fulfilling and enriched life.
- Leadership: Leaders who possess a growth mindset are more likely to meet or exceed performance expectations, develop high performing teams and create a culture that fosters speaking up, learning from mistakes and failing faster.
- Career Success: In the professional realm, a growth mindset can lead to greater career success. Employees who believe in their capacity to grow are more likely to take on new challenges, seek out learning opportunities, and advance in their careers.
- Educational Achievement: In educational settings, students with a growth mindset are more likely to achieve higher levels of academic success. They are not discouraged by initial failures and continue to put in the effort needed to master difficult subjects.
- Improved Relationships: A growth mindset can also positively impact relationships. People who believe in themselves and their ability to grow are more likely to work on improving their interpersonal skills and resolving conflicts constructively.
- Parenting: Parents who model a growth mindset teach children to manage and learn from their emotions and model and encourage positive coping strategies. They teach their children empathy & active listening skills, fostering higher emotional intelligence.
- Mental Well-being: It contributes to better mental health and well-being. The resilience and positive outlook associated with a growth mindset help individuals cope with stress and recover from setbacks quickly and more effectively.
- Innovation and Creativity: Organizations that foster a growth mindset culture are often more innovative and adaptable. Employees in such environments are encouraged to experiment, take risks, and learn from their mistakes, leading to greater innovation and creative problem-solving.
- Societal Impact: On a broader scale, a growth mindset can contribute to societal progress. When individuals believe in their potential to grow and improve, they are more likely to engage in activities that promote social change and contribute positively to their communities.
What are some ways you could start to shift your mindset today to get better results and experience more joy in your life & career?
Practical Applications
Leadership Development: Executives can engage in self-reflection or seek feedback from peers, mentors, or executive coaches to identify their own fixed mindset tendencies & consciously work to shift their perspective towards growth. They can seek feedback and openly acknowledging their own mistakes and what actions they are taking to learn from and correct them.
Organization Development: Employers can provide opportunities for professional development, recognize and reward effort and improvement, and reinforce a culture where risk taking, and failure are seen as learning opportunities. They can also use language that reinforces growth such as emphasizing the importance of effort, resilience, and learning.
Personal Development: Individuals can be mindful of their emotional diet by reducing negative self-talk & reframing limiting beliefs. Being kind to yourself and practicing self-compassion as you navigate challenges and obstacles as well as setting goals that emphasize learning, development, and progress rather than just achieving specific outcomes. Breaking larger goals into smaller, manageable steps and celebrating your progress along the way.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can develop a growth mindset, feel free to reach out at christineshanley.com.