Fixed vs Growth Mindsets
The idea behind the book originated from a research that professor Dweck did with children. When presented with difficult task, some children saw it as an opportunity to learn and test themselves. Some on the other hand, did not take the challenge and gave up on finding the solution.
Assuming children were comparably experienced and skilled, what differentiated them was their mindset, as the author had discovered with her following studies. That was an opening for the author as she acknowledges in her book that she herself believed that talent that determines our success.
While luck and some natural conditions can definitely help, we underestimate work, perseverance and humility that people present in order to achieve success.
If you watched “The Last Dance” with Michael Jordan or listened to Arnold Schwarzenegger inspiring speech about his story as a young immigrant when he arrived in the US, you know exactly where this book will land with the message.
A Battle of The Two
We can identify ourselves with some of the stories, which will give us an understanding of the importance of time invested, as well as the significance of our reflection and courage to rise from failure, leading us toward growth. On the contrary, each of us also has areas where we believe talent is necessary to achieve certain success and credibility. The book can challenge us on that belief.
I recall from a few of my leadership trainings an opening question – ‘do you believe you learn to be a good leader, or is it a talent that you are born with?’. The answers will usually be divided. Those who answer that it’s a talent and not the training that will make them good – do you think they can benefit from this and future trainings?
The author shows us that the mindset is something we can work on. Setting the mindset on the course to growth can lead to great success with children who were in the past unsuccessful in the education program. Those who were prized for talent and intelligence may be afraid to fail and with more challenges in life, decide to withdraw from taking new pursuits and keep the status quo.
Those who are prized for effort and strategy, are those who will take the challenge when the outcome is unknown. So a change in how children are appraised can lead to their remarkable successes as shown with examples in the book.
In one of my earlier posts I wrote about “Range” by David Epstein, the book that celebrates people with wide interests and courage for exploration. During our life some of us decide to explore wide waters while some go deep in their specialization.
“Range” fits well with “Mindset”. Our work, being quite often part of our identity is a very sensitive area to experiments.
A Lesson from The Greatest Athlete
So we must believe that the change we going to implement will pay off. And for that we need a growth mindset. We often believe that we posses talent, but the trap lies in assuming that success will come naturally without the need for hard work.
Unless we believe in the change, with first failure we will withdraw to safe space having already enough evidence to convince ourselves that the change is not possible.
Some will go for career change, some will hold on to what is known and safe. Some will risk multiple failures, while some will safely explore known areas of their expertise.
I’ve already mentioned “The Last Dance”, an epic portrait of one of the greatest athletes of our times.
Michael Jordan is an example of someone who did switch careers and decided to play in the NFL before he returned to NBA. He surprised many who could not believe, one would decide to leave such a successful position and play in a sport that is completely different from basketball.
MJ is known for his hard work and treating each game as if it were the most important of his life, which contributes to his remarkable personality.
Can Growth Mindset Fool Us?
There are also traps associated with the growth mindset, and I learned an important lesson by blindly embracing that notion without safeguards.
It all began when I decided to invest my time and knowledge into a former employee of mine who struggled with day-to-day tasks shortly after being hired.
These tasks were relatively straightforward, or they could have been adequately planned for anyone dealing with complexity. I believed that with different approaches and tools, this employee could overcome difficulties and begin working independently. I went above and beyond with my managerial support, trusting the employee’s claim of being a strong learner.
However, the results were dismal. The employee continued to make the same mistakes repeatedly with little to no reflection. It took someone wise in my life to awaken me to the reality that there’s a difference between claiming to be a learner and actually proving it with actions.
If someone persists in making mistakes despite having a toolbox of solutions, it’s not the tools at fault but rather the individual’s attitude. And there’s nothing I can do to change the attitude of someone who internally refuses to improve.
It was a painful lesson for me, as I had envisioned myself as a coach for others but realized I had failed to recognize when someone was deceiving me with their attitude.
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion” Paulo Coelho
This Is Something We Can All Learn
I also found myself on the other side of the story when I was on the brink of giving up on a sport, but a great instructor helped me overcome my obstacles.
It all happened during my scuba diving lessons. The most critical and fearful moment for me was getting into the water with all the gear. Fortunately, at the certification school where I trained, there was an amazing instructor. She assured me that we would find a method that made me feel safe getting into the water.
My instructor introduced me to a technique of sliding into the water from the side of a boat rather than taking a giant step. Initially, the idea of the ocean floor being tens of meters below me was terrifying when I was on the boat. However, as I spent more hours diving, I gradually realized that I was no longer afraid to take the giant step, so I now had two methods for entering the water. On my next diving trip a year later, I even learned to jump in backward, which, as scary as it sounds, turned out to be a lot of fun.
Now, with my certification in hand, I have completed almost 20 dives in five seas on three different continents. There’s no other activity that captivates me as much. It’s almost unbelievable that I almost gave up because of the terrifying experience of the first step. I have great respect for my amazing instructor who believed that there is a solution for everyone.
Simplicity of ‘Not Yet’ phrase
I would also like to expand on the title of the post, which comprises words used by the professor in her TED talk. Professor Dweck shares a story of a Chicago school that, instead of marking students as failed on exams, labels them as “not yet.”
This “not yet” serves as an invitation to a new chapter rather than a stigma of failure, which can have a negative influence on how we view ourselves. The phrase “not yet” offers us countless opportunities to achieve our goals in the future and is brilliant in its simplicity.
Returning to the book, it’s not very long but well-structured. It contains numerous stories featuring famous leaders, athletes, and individuals who serve as perfect examples of the growth mindset in real-life situations.
Because we are not always inclined to one approach or the other but rather a mix of both, it’s a good book to challenge our beliefs and provide us with food for thought.
For those interested in learning more about the book, there is a TED talk available by Professor Carol Dweck with over 12 million views.
I can’t resist sharing one of my favorite quotes.
“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish” , Steve Jobs
Thanks for reading,
Ali
