In her book Mindset, Carol Dweck contrasts fixed and growth mindsets and explains how they may both significantly influence how we pursue our objectives from infancy into adulthood. The premise that intellect and skill are not fixed attributes but can be developed with persistence and effort is supported by a substantial body of intriguing research that Dweck provides. She offers practical advice on how to create a growth mindset as well as acquire and sustain one. Dweck uses illuminating, authentic success and failure tales of some of our time’s greatest athletic, academic, and business figures to demonstrate the effects of each mentality.
What is Mindset?
Leading authority on motivation and personality psychology Carol Dweck has found through more than 20 years of research that our mentality shapes our whole mental universe, making it more than just a minor personality quirk. It clarifies how we develop our optimism or pessimism. Mindset influences our aspirations, perspectives on our jobs and interpersonal interactions, and parenting practices, eventually determining whether or not we will reach our full potential. Everybody has one of two fundamental Mindsets, according to Dweck.
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset
If you have a fixed mindset, you think your skills and talents are either something you have, or you don’t. You must consistently demonstrate your worth making every effort to appear intelligent and talented. This is the route to inertia. However, if you have a growth attitude, you know that outstanding abilities may be acquired through time. This is the road to achievement and opportunity. Here is an infographic from AOT comparing the two mindsets:
Dweck shows how attitude develops throughout infancy and maturity and affects many facets of our life, including jobs, sports, relationships, and parenthood. She explains how creative geniuses employ the growth mindset to get results in many kinds of creative disciplines, including music, literature, science, athletics, and business. Carol demonstrates how to alter our thinking at any point in life to experience genuine success and fulfillment, which is maybe even more significant. She considers a wide range of applications and assists parents, educators, coaches, and business leaders understand how they may support the growth mindset.
The Author: Carol Dweck
Carol S. Dweck is a pioneer in studying motivation and a professor of psychology at Stanford. Her study focuses on the factors contributing to student achievement and how to support it. Her study has more particularly illustrated the importance of attitudes for success and the adverse effects that complimenting kids’ intellect may have on their motivation and learning.
In addition, she has held professorships at Harvard and Columbia Universities, spoken to organizations in the fields of business, sports, and education, and been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. She most recently received the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, one of the top honors in psychology. Her best-selling book Mindset, which I am writing about, has received high praise and has been published in 26 languages.
Recommendation: Watch Carol Dweck’s Ted Talk
Here is her ted talk about the power of believing that you can improve:
Take Away
- The Growth Mindset is founded on the idea that everyone has the capacity to change.
- Early success could be a poor predictor of what a person’s future holds.
- The growth mindset develops character, which is a crucial element of success.
- Business leaders must have a growth mindset in order to succeed.
- The best instructors and coaches set high expectations for their pupils. They foster a supportive environment where they may meet those standards.
- And finally, let’s finish this article with a quote from Carol:
