Growing with Every Step

 

Christ Church College Dining Hall Staircase, Oxford

…to understand the kind of mindset that could turn a failure into a gift.

There is this idea of having two mindsets – fixed and growth, spans all areas of our lives from our own intellect, business, goals, and relationships. It can be summarized in this succinct question the author of Mindset poses –

“What are the consequences of thinking that your intelligence or personality is something you can develop, as opposed to something that is a fixed, deep-seated trait?”

The author defines the fixed mindset as being ‘carved in stone.’ With only a certain set amount of knowledge and intelligence, a certain character, and certain moral compass, the fixed mindset person is set out to have to prove himself over and over. When faced with a challenge or difficulty, they don’t bother to look at themselves, they complain, they do nothing, they stay in bed, they cry, they eat, they pout, they blame others.

In contrast, the growth mindset is defined as having belief that your ‘qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, your strategies, and help from others.’ The idea being that no matter what talents or interests you have you can grow through learning and trying. This growth minded person might wonder – why would I worry about proving myself over and over when I could be getting better and learning more? A deep passion for learning is fostered. When faced with a challenge, the growth mindset will move forward focusing on the learning over time, not about being perfect now.

Using many examples from her life, stories she has heard, research she has done, and from celebrities of all kinds, Carol Dweck takes the reader through all areas of life to show how her thesis of mindsets plays out in corporations, individuals, small groups, relationships, and parenting. She points out that while in one area we could be growth minded, in other areas we might still remain in a fixed mindset. We need to be attentive to this and then it’s up to each of us to work on it. She borrows wisdom from many who have learned this, such as the basketball coach John Wooden who said “you aren’t a failure until you start to blame. What he means is that you can still be in the process of learning from your mistakes until you deny them.” This concept is a key to maintaining a growth mindset, for if it’s always someone else’s fault, you are never willing to look within yourself for things to improve. Instead ask: what can I do to learn from that experience? How can I use that as a basis for growing and learning?

I remember when Enron fell from its pedestal in 2001. In the years to come I studied their mistakes in my accounting classes in college. The author uses Enron as a prime example of a corporation having a fixed mindset, by putting complete faith in talent. Enron created a culture that was fixated on big talent, worshiping the look and feel of being successful in their talent, and thereby pushing themselves into a fixed mindset. They thought they were all brilliant and had no flaws. With this outlook as a corporate culture, nobody was willing to say there was any vulnerability in the company, nobody was willing to admit a mistake or provide feedback for improvement and work together.

On the other side of the coin, we are reminded of some good leaders who have restored companies by putting their ego aside, and being open to new ideas and welcoming changes that are for good. Taking the leader mentality from “me me me” to “we”.  A company is more than one person. What these leaders with a growth mindset have learned is to select people for their mindset, not for their status, degrees, and certifications.

As I was reading this book, I began to quickly notice within myself whenever I was falling into a fixed mindset about something, and I also easily see that play out in other people. The book presented me with the reminders and examples of keeping a growth mindset in all areas of my life. It is very simple to remember fixed vs. growth, but it’s another thing to be observant to it and address it. With this book and its language as a tool, I have been able to incorporate it into my daily life, opening myself to a deeper realized growth mindset.