Awaken the Mind

Growth VS Fixed Mindsets

How do you know which one you have? Can you change your mindset even as an adult? Does it even matter? We are going to explore all of those questions and more in this article. By the end, you will have discovered all you need to know about what the growth mindset is and how to cultivate one.

Where did this concept of the two opposing mindsets begin? Meet Carol Dweck. Dr Dweck is a psychologist at Stanford whose research bridges developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology. Millions have seen her Ted Talk in 2014. On their website, Ted refers to her as a “pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, why people succeed (or don’t) and how to foster success”. This sounds like something any aspiring leader needs to know.
Initially she was interested in looking at the reason behind WHY some people fail and others succeed. She says she examines the mindsets people use to structure the self and guide their behavior. Her research looks at where people’s mindsets come from, their role in motivation, and their impact on achievement and success in both professional and personal endeavors. In her well-known book, Mindset – the New Psychology of Success, she reveals her observations and explains her subsequent theory.
Her main question was as follows: 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?

We know from years of developmental psychology that the personality is pretty much in place by the time a child has their sixth birthday. If you think back to what you were like when you were little – whether you were quiet and thoughtful or loud and fearless – chances are those traits still exist pretty predominantly in your personality as an adult. If you have children, you can see by the age of six whether they will have a positive attitude, a bossy streak, a gentle nature, or a desire to make others laugh. And while those things are going to develop and manifest differently at various stages of their lives – except for a deeply traumatic event – they will stay the same. Yes, we can all learn to see the glass half-full even if as a youngster we saw it half-empty…but it won’t come naturally. The personality is established at that tender age.  But what about intelligence?

What is a fixed mindset?

A fixed mindset is the belief that your intelligence is static and predetermined. It operates under the premise that IQ is something that you are born with, and we will never be smarter than whatever amount of intelligence we were given at birth. Either we are a genius from the start or we never will be. Where people fall on this intelligence scale is fixed. We cannot move it. Once an idiot, always an idiot.

Let’s go through the basic beliefs of someone with a fixed mindset.
The core belief of the fixed mindset is that intelligence is static. It is innate. Unchangeable. The focus for someone with a fixed mindset is to display the skills and capabilities they believe they were given and now possess. They believe they only have a certain amount of intelligence so they have to maintain it, protect it and build it up to be as impressive and as stable as they can make it seem. Because our thoughts create our beliefs and then our beliefs in turn motivate our actions, there are certain behaviors that are typical of people who operate out of the fixed intelligence belief.

They have a tendency to do the following:

Avoid challenges
The fixed mindset avoids challenges because there is a chance of failure. Failure would be a crack in the armor of their perceived intelligence, it would put into question whether they really are intelligent or not. They think: “If I am smart, if I have the skills needed, then I shouldn’t fail.” Therefore if something has the potential to be challenging enough to cause them to fail – if they cannot foresee an easy win – they will avoid it at all costs. The fixed mindset stays in its comfort zone and tries to rest on its’ laurels, on its’ past achievements.

Give up easily
Fixed mindset people tend to give up easily because they have already figured out in their mind that they either do or do not have enough brain power for this problem. So why bother to keep trying if you already know that you can’t do it? They don’t want to arrive at that conclusion. Better to think that you could have done it if you wanted to, but that you chose to quit. Remember that the risk of failure will lead to doubt concerning their capabilities, so they will quickly avoid or give up on something that risks making them fail. And of course they will blame others, or the situation. It simply can’t be done – they’ll say. No use in trying.

See effort as weakness
Because of this they will also avoid displaying or making an effort, because effort means that you are straining and striving for something more, that it is difficult, that you have to try hard. If you are already “smart”, then things should not be hard – they should be easy. Making an effort then, would reveal a lack of intelligence or capabilities. Therefore they see the need for effort as a sign of weakness.

Resist negative feedback
Because the fixed mindset has to protect its image of being smart, people with fixed mindsets have a very hard time with criticism. They don’t do well with it. They tend to ignore any negative feedback because that would require taking an honest look at their performance, their current understanding, and it might require them to face a challenge or make an effort. They need to protect their image, their reputation, and maintain the outward appearance of intelligence and capability. If they cannot ignore or avoid the criticism then they tend to be defensive, deflect or blame others.

Feel threatened by others success
This is because it calls into question their own success. What if they can’t do that? It’s also likely they wouldn’t even try (they give things up easily rather than making an effort at something hard) so the fact that all of a sudden – it CAN be done – can shine a light on their unwillingness to tackle said challenge. It’s the scarcity mindset that says there isn’t enough to go around: if that person succeeded then that takes away from my chances to succeed. When other people go beyond the barriers and succeed, it shakes up the status quo of the fixed mindset.

Carol Dweck says:
“If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character— well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics. […] I’ve seen so many people with this one consuming goal of proving themselves— in the classroom, in their careers, and in their relationships. Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality, or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel like a winner or a loser?”

Am I good enough?
With the fixed mindset, everything is viewed as a risky test that could mess with what they perceive as their self-image. Because of their beliefs and therefore their actions, fixed mindset people tend to plateau early and then simply maintain, never really achieving their full potential. The growth is thwarted by their fears of failure and self-limiting thoughts.

Contrast that with a growth mindset

The core belief of the growth mindset is that intelligence can be developed. I can grow my intelligence by effort and learning and engagement – even by tackling difficult things.

So a person with a growth mindset is more prone to reacting the opposite way of the fixed mindset in the following areas:
They embrace challenges rather than avoid them, because they believe that challenges help them to grow. They see the value in taking on something new.

They persist in the face of setbacks instead of giving up easily. So many studies have come out recently naming grit and perseverance as the top markers of whether or not someone will be successful. Ups and downs are part of most experiences in life. Being able to persist despite difficulties is a key trait among good leaders and successful people in general.

They see effort as the path to mastery and value it as part of the growth process. In fact Carol Dweck believes that it is the effort that creates the intelligence. Fully engaging with a problem is a type of mental and emotional exercise that will yield positive results when they apply smart effort to solving the issue.

They learn from criticism. They don’t blame, avoid or deflect. They want to know everything they can about how to better approach the situation or the issue. So they welcome feedback and learn from it.

Because of this desire to learn and grow they also find lessons and inspiration in others’ success, rather than being threatened by it. Because they believe they can learn and grow, they aspire to the belief that what one man or woman can do, so can another.

People who operate out of a growth mindset view experiences, challenges and problems more like a practice than as a test. They don’t grade themselves on each performance – they value the follow through, the learning and the progress. This type of behavior results in ever-higher levels of achievement. The logical rationale is that if someone refuses to quit, continues to learn, observes and gains knowledge from both their mistakes and others success – they simply can’t help but improve and grow and eventually reach whatever it is they are aiming at.

Dr. Dweck observed young teenagers who were assigned varying degrees of difficult puzzles and problems. Some of them gave up right away, some made excuses about how they could do it but it was a waste of time, and some said things like: “I was hoping this would prove to be a challenge!” Or “I like trying hard things!”. She was intrigued by how much the different mindsets dictated the students’ engagement and then their ability to complete the problem. Some even asked for more. This is where she realized that the belief system we grow up with regarding intelligence ends up making all the difference.

We don’t choose our parents. We don’t really choose our neighborhoods or schools. So the predominant mindset in the culture or our youth was influencing us way before we even knew what a mindset was. It’s very possible that people tend to avoid challenges because they are afraid of failure and looking stupid because they grew up being made fun of or humiliated when they made a mistake or did something wrong. In this case the lesson was: never show weakness and always maintain a perceived level of intelligence no matter what. But this creates anxiety and insecurities because this person always has to be on guard against mistakes and things that might make them look bad. It can be exhausting. And not trying new things for fear of failure or not being good at it right away limits life in so many ways. The fixed mindset evaluates things based on how successful they can easily be at it. They think if they can’t win then what is the point? But how about just getting better at it? How about getting smarter or stronger? What if challenges aren’t tests trying to qualify us and rate us, but rather simple opportunities to practice and grow?

The study of the brain and research advances in neuroscience confirms that neuroplasticity – the ability for neurons to create new neural pathways and connections – continues into our adulthood. Turns out that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Your brain is wired to continue to learn your whole life. In fact, trying to learn a foreign language or a musical instrument in your old age has been shown to be a great way to ward off dementia.

 Why you want to change mindsets

So it is possible to change your mindset, no matter how you grew up or what you have believed up until now. There are so many benefits to adopting a growth mindset! Just to name a few, you will: 

Improve your self-esteem and confidence
Learn new skills
Accept new challenges
See new opportunities
Look out for feedback that can help you improve and move forward

Continuously Improving

You are undoubtedly familiar with the concept of continuous improvement for a company. The growth mindset is basically allowing yourself to be continuously IMPROVING, instead of feeling that you have to continuously PROVE yourself. The act of accepting the challenge, engaging with it, learning from it – this will increase your understanding and skill with this particular activity. Even if you don’t succeed the first time. You have grown your intelligence in this area simply by engaging and making an effort. You are IMPROVING. That’s much better than simply maintaining your perceived capabilities and remaining stagnant

What are some practical ways that someone can use to change their beliefs and cultivate a growth mindset?

Listen to yourself. We need to identify the little voice that may be holding us back, judging us, keeping us trying new things for fear of failure. Can you hear yourself questioning whether you have the skills or talent for a new project? Do you worry that you’ll fail and that people will look down on you? When you think about taking on a new challenge, do you resist for fear of failing? When you receive criticism do you tend to become defensive, blame others or make excuses? Listen to yourself and catch yourself buying into the fixed mindset.

Recognize that you have a choice. We all face challenges that we don’t feel up to sometimes. But your attitude and subsequent actions will make all the difference between growth and success or failure. How you respond will dictate the outcome. If you see setbacks as proof that you’re just not up to the job then the fixed mindset will win and you will be proven right. But if you look at challenges as opportunities for growth, then you can develop a plan for action, such as learning more about it, working hard, changing your strategy, and trying again. You won’t give up. Use the power of the word YET. Maybe I don’t know exactly what to do – yet. But I will. Maybe I don’t have the skill I need for this – yet. But I will get it. YET is a powerful game because it means I am still in the game. And if you simply KEEP shooting you will eventually make a goal. But as Wayne Gretzky said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Don’t bench yourself early on. Stay in the game with the power of YET. You have a choice!

Once you’ve identified it, challenge that fixed mindset. Don’t let it have the final word. Get over the fear of failure – because NOT trying is worse than trying and failing. In 1910, the eloquent President Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech at the renown University la Sorbonne in Paris and he shared this most inspirational thought: “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
In other words – overcome your little timid fixed mindset so that you can experience the victories that are waiting for you! Learn new phrases to help you get beyond the objections of your fixed mindset. “I may not get it right the first time, but with practice I know I can learn this.” “I am fully capable of solving this, I will keep learning until I find the solution.” Don’t forget the power of YET!

Take action. When you practice thinking and acting from a mindset of growth, it becomes easier to tackle obstacles in a more positive way. Think of it like practicing a musical instrument or a sport: nobody does it perfectly the first time. When you make a mistake, try to see it as a chance to learn. You’ll be amazed at how free you will feel to tackle new things when you remove that weight of having to do it perfectly. Like Nike says – Just do it! Practice makes progress, and progress is forward movement which will eventually take you to your goal! Success is always an option when you approach your setbacks and challenges with the growth mindset!

Lead with a Growth Mindset

As a leader, think of how you can help your team by using the growth mindset. Praise your people for their efforts and for having an attitude of learning. If you had a fixed idea of someone’s abilities, recognize and appreciate them when they improve. See the potential in all of your people. Finally you can support your team’s development by providing them with helpful workshops or coaching . To build teamwork and encourage people to voice their opinions and ideas, create an environment of open discussion and communication. Knowing that the growth mindset can help individuals achieve greater things – think of the amazing things it can do when a whole group of people tackle challenges head-on with a positive attitude! Bring that to your people and not only will you see amazing results in your plant, but they will experience more success in their personal lives as well. And impacting others in a positive way is one of the greatest benefits of being a leader. Always keep growing my friends!