Unlocking The Potential Of A Growth Mindset
While attending a conference a few years ago, I randomly ended up in a talk about “Growth Mindset”, a subject I knew nothing about. It was one of those brain-bending, paradigm-smashing moments where you realize how wrong some of your core assumptions about life are.
I came away from the session reeling. Intelligence isn’t fixed at birth? Studies show talent is negligible compared to persistence? You can dramatically change your IQ just by practicing for the tests? Praising talent and attributes like strength, intelligence, or artistic talent consistently lead to worse outcomes in children and co-workers?
If this talk was to be believed, the ideas I held about talent, human potential, and praise were not just wrong but damaging, both for myself and the people around me. The way I had been using praise was likely leading to my teams taking fewer risks, avoiding difficult challenges, and generally faring worse in the long run.
It was shocking. And exciting! I endeavored to learn everything I could about growth mindset.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset, as defined by psychologist Carol Dweck, who coined the term, is the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence. This contrasts with a fixed mindset - the belief that our qualities are set in stone and cannot be changed.
It’s a simple idea that has big consequences for personal and professional development. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. They're more likely to:
Embrace challenges
Persist in the face of setbacks
See effort as a path to mastery
Learn from criticism
Find inspiration in others' success
On the flip side, people with a fixed mindset do the opposite. They’re more likely to fear challenges, give up in the face of setbacks, see effort as evidence they’re not as talented as they thought, shrink from criticism, and fear other people’s success.
For example, if you feel that you’re smart because everyone tells you you’re smart all the time, paradoxically you’re less likely to take on difficult challenges. How can that be? Well, no matter how smart you are, sometimes you will be wrong. Or you’ll come up against a subject that is too difficult for you at this moment of your development.
Psychologically speaking this is very bad - remember, you’re smart because everyone tells you you’re smart … but here’s something too challenging for you, what does that mean? If you’re always praised for being smart, this must mean you’re not that smart. You’ve found your limit. You’re only so smart. So, you stop trying. You stay in your lane, within your birth-ordained limits, safe in the space where you’re still considered smart.
Challenges, setbacks, criticism, and the effort needed to understand are all evidence that you’re not as smart as you and everyone else thought you were. They’re to be feared and avoided.
However, if you’ve been praised for always trying really hard and facing down obstacles with persistence and dedication, discovering a challenge that’s currently too tough for you is not psychologically problematic. In fact it’s normal, a sign that you’re going in the right direction.
The Science Behind Growth Mindset
The concept of growth mindset isn't just feel-good psychology - it's backed by robust scientific research. Studies have shown that individuals with a growth mindset tend to achieve more than those with a fixed mindset, particularly in challenging situations.
A landmark study by Blackwell, Trzesniewski, and Dweck in 2007 found that students who believed intelligence could be developed (growth mindset) outperformed those who believed intelligence was fixed. This effect was especially pronounced when students faced difficult transitions, such as moving to secondary school.
More recently, large-scale studies have corroborated these findings. The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which included over 550,000 students from 76 nations, found that a growth mindset predicted higher academic achievement and well-being across cultures.
Neuroscience also sheds light on the brain mechanisms that underlie the growth mindset. A 2016 study by Myers et al. found that individuals with a growth mindset showed increased connectivity between brain regions associated with behavioral regulation and reward processing. This suggests that a growth mindset may enhance our ability to learn from mistakes and persist in the face of challenges.
Cultivating Your Own Growth Mindset
Developing a growth mindset isn't about positive thinking or affirmations. It's about recognizing the plasticity of your brain and embracing the process of learning and growth. Here are some strategies to foster a growth mindset:
Embrace challenges: Seek out difficult tasks that push you out of your comfort zone.
View failure as feedback: When you fall short, ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?"
Focus on the process: Celebrate your efforts and strategies, not just outcomes.
Adopt a "yet" mindset: Instead of saying "I can't do this," say "I can't do this yet."
Cultivate curiosity: Approach new situations with genuine interest in learning.
Remember, developing a growth mindset is itself a growth process. Be patient with yourself and recognize that change takes time and consistent effort.
Growth Mindset in Parenting
As parents, we have a unique opportunity to shape our children's mindsets. Research by Haimovitz and Dweck suggests that how parents view failure - as debilitating or enhancing - significantly impacts their children's mindset development. By reframing failure as a natural part of the learning process, we can help our children develop resilience and a love for learning.
I know from experience how effortless it is to praise your children for being clever, strong, fast, talented, and so on. It’s difficult stopping yourself and the growth mindset alternatives feel clumsy! Here are a few suggestions for how to foster growth mindset in children:
Praise effort and strategy, not innate ability: Instead of saying "You're so smart," try "I'm proud of how hard you worked on that."
Encourage risk-taking: Help your child see challenges as opportunities for growth.
Model a growth mindset: Let your kids see you embracing challenges and learning from failures.
Teach the value of "yet": When your child says they can't do something, add "yet" to the end of their sentence.
Celebrate mistakes: Create an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.
Leading Teams with a Growth Mindset
In the workplace, fostering a growth mindset culture can lead to more innovative, collaborative, and resilient teams. A study by Canning et al. (2019) found that STEM faculty who endorsed more of a growth mindset had smaller racial achievement gaps in their classes and inspired greater student motivation. This underscores the powerful impact a leader's mindset can have on team performance and equity.
Here's how to promote a growth mindset as a leader:
Encourage risk-taking and innovation: Create an environment where new ideas are welcomed and failure is seen as a stepping stone to success.
Provide development opportunities: Invest in your team's growth through training, mentoring, and challenging assignments.
Give process-oriented feedback: Focus on strategies and effort, not just results.
Model a growth mindset: Be open about your own learning journey and how you're working to improve.
Recognize and reward growth: Celebrate team members who demonstrate learning and improvement, not just those who achieve the best results.
The Transformative Power of Growth Mindset
Embracing a growth mindset isn't just about achieving more - it's about transforming how we approach challenges, view our potential, and interact with the world around us. Whether we're working on our own development, raising children, or leading teams, cultivating a growth mindset can lead to more fulfilling and successful outcomes. It’s also, simply put, a nicer way of being in the world, where the unavoidable setbacks of life don’t throw you into a downward spiral.
As we navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, the ability to learn, adapt, and grow is more crucial than ever. By fostering a growth mindset in ourselves and others, we're not just preparing for the future - we're actively shaping it.
Remember, developing a growth mindset is itself a journey. It requires consistent effort and a willingness to challenge our existing beliefs. But the rewards - in terms of achievement, resilience, and personal fulfillment - make it a journey well worth taking.