With A Straight Bat

Personal Brand | Psychology

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Well, well, well, ain’t it a hoot how in today’s corporate landscape, all it takes is a sprinkling of jargon to make a buzzword go from zero to hero in a matter of minutes. All you got to do is toss it in with the corporate bigwigs and self-proclaimed gurus, and voila! You got yourself a buzzword that’s going to be all the rage. But let’s not get too carried away with these fancy terms, please. Sure, they can sound mighty impressive, but if we’re not careful, we’ll end up talking in circles and confusing the heck out of everyone. One such word doing the rounds is Growth Mindset.

I mean, it’s like a flick of a switch, and suddenly everyone’s talking about Growth Mindset like it’s the second coming of sliced bread. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nifty concept and all, but we got to be careful not to use it as a band-aid for all our problems. Just slapping the words “growth mindset” on something doesn’t magically make it better. We got to put in the hard work and actually embody the principles of growth and learning.

A great starting point to understand the concept of a growth mindset is the 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, in which Professor Carol Dweck talks about how people have two mindsets – one that’s all about fixed qualities and another that’s all about growth. It’s like choosing between being a fossil or a fern. People with a fixed mindset think they’re born with a certain set of talents and abilities, and that’s all they’ll ever have. But the growth mindset folks believe they can develop and improve their skills over time.

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I mean, think about it – if we’re stuck in a fixed mindset, we’re basically stuck in a rut, like a car with no wheels, spinning our wheels and getting nowhere fast. But if we embrace the growth mindset, we can be like a rocket ship, blasting off to infinity and beyond! And it’s not just about organizations either – us as individuals can benefit big-time from adopting a growth mindset.

According to Professor Dweck, if you’re stuck in a fixed mindset, you’ll avoid challenges like the plague, all because you’re so darn worried about protecting your ego and avoiding failure. But if you’ve got that growth mindset, you’re going to be like a fearless adventurer, seeking out challenges and failure like they’re the holy grail of learning and development.

So how to develop a growth mindset?

• First things first, you must recognize that your abilities can be developed. You may have thought that you were born with a fixed amount of intelligence and talent, but that’s just a myth. With some elbow grease and dedication, you can improve your skills and abilities.
• Next up, embrace challenges like they’re the last slice of pizza – don’t be afraid to fail because failure is just a step on the road to success. Instead of running away from difficult tasks, try to see them as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Focus on the process of learning rather than just about winning or losing, and you’ll be on the path to success.
• Now, when it comes to criticism, don’t take it personally. Instead, use it as a way to learn and improve. Seek out constructive criticism and view it as a chance to identify areas where you can grow.
• If you’re trying to develop that growth mindset, you got to look to the pros for some inspiration. Study up on people who already embody that growth mindset. It could be someone you know or even just someone you admire from afar. Take a good look at what they do and how they approach challenges. Do they keep a positive attitude even when things get tough? Can you apply similar tactics to your own life and start developing that growth mindset.
• When things get tough, don’t give up! Failure is just a natural part of the learning process and keep pushing forward. You got this!
• And remember, nobody’s perfect. We’re all works in progress, so let’s keep striving to be the best versions of ourselves. You got this!
• Last but not least, surround yourself with positive influences. Seek out people who will encourage and support your growth mindset, read books and articles that promote a growth mindset, and avoid negative self-talk.

Is it possible to change that mindset of yours?

Well, it looks like the mindset may not be as set in stone. According to Dweck (who’s got that growth mindset on lock), we can still make changes. She says, “Mindsets are a part of our personality, but we can change them. Just by knowing about the two mindsets, we can start thinking and reacting in new ways.”

So don’t go throwing in the towel just yet. If you want to go from a lump of coal to bling-bling like a diamond, maybe it’s time to tap into the wisdom of the one and only Professor Dweck and get to work. With a little bit of knowledge and some hard work, we can master our own mindset! So, let’s get to it.