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The fact that she made a connection between the two highlights the stark contrast between what a growth mindset is and what it has become in the hands of corporate bullshitters and bad motivational speakers.
Intro
Welcome to Lead It Better, the podcast made to help you become a more impactful leader.
Whether you have years of experience or just getting started on your leadership journey, you’re in the right place to pick up practical, actionable advice. We’re gonna discuss not only how to best deal with leadership-related questions and situations but explore why a particular approach might work better than others.
My name’s Marton, and for the better part of a decade, I’ve been helping aspiring, new and experienced leaders develop their skills and leadership strategies.
This is episode 5, and this week we’re gonna talk about growth mindset. What it is, why it’s good for you, how you can develop and maintain it, and how you can foster an environment where your team can do the same.
Lessons from a galaxy far, far away
In terms of growth mindset, I usually describe myself as an extremist.
I believe deeply that everyone can learn, grow and develop themselves and that there’s no skill you can’t acquire. I see mistakes and failures through the lens of “you win some, you learn some.”
On top of that, the use of ‘extremist’ seems warranted because I’ve been known to get upset if I hear someone use self-limiting talk. I don’t mean I’d get upset with you, but rather on your behalf, if that makes sense. Still, my wife tells me that this can be pretty annoying, so I’m trying to be conscious about how I communicate my deep-seated belief that everyone can develop their skills and abilities through hard work and perseverance.
While the terms “growth mindset” and “fixed mindset” were coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” my favorite representation of the shortcomings of a fixed mindset can be found in a movie from 1980. A scene, not more than five minutes long, from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
In the middle of his Jedi training, Luke’s X-Wing fighter is suddenly swallowed up by the swamps of Dagobah, and as the ship goes down, he gasps in frustration: “oh no… we’ll never get it out now.“
Yoda follows Luke and responds, “so certain are you,” then sighs and says, “always with you what cannot be done.“
Luke turns back to face Yoda and protests, “master, moving stones around is one thing; this is totally different.“
“No, no different. Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.“
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.“
“No. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.“
Luke nods and reaches out with the Force. He lifts the X-Wing a bit but ultimately fails to remove the fighter from the swamp. His shoulders sag, and he returns to a visibly disappointed Yoda.
“I can’t; it’s too big.“
Yoda then goes on to explain about the workings of the Force and implies that the task at hand is possible; Luke just needs to develop his mindset, learn and practice. Luke nods and listens but, in the end, walks away defeated, saying, “you want the impossible.”
Yoda grabs the fighter with the Force, elevates it out of the swamp, and puts it safely on solid ground. Triumphant music swells, and Luke is ecstatic as he circles the X-Wing; his face conveys disbelief; he runs up to Yoda to say as much: “I don’t… I don’t believe it.” To which Yoda responds, “It’s why you fail.“
Now while I do think that developing a growth mindset is magical, I don’t think it’s literal magic. Still, I feel like this needs mentioning because as the term has become more popular and widely used in the last two decades, the original contents seem to have been somewhat… bent out of shape.
A few months ago, I was having lunch with someone, and we ended up talking about having a growth mindset. I became – as you might imagine – quite excited but was quickly shut down by my lunch partner, whose reaction resembled something close to disgust. And it wasn’t food related. She thought the whole idea was nonsense, more or less a modern version of snake oil, and hated the amount of hype it was getting.
I asked why, and she said, “Well, there’s no amount of growth mindset that will help me drive a car.” She uses a wheelchair, and I trust her judgment on the second half of that statement, but her mindset – fixed or growth-oriented – has nothing to do with that. And the fact that she made a connection between the two highlights the stark contrast between what a growth mindset is and what it has become in the hands of corporate bullshitters and bad motivational speakers. I completely understand if you want to avoid the toxic positivity of “just believe in yourself, and anything is possible.” I’m with you on that.
So then, what is growth mindset?
It’s basically a mental attitude. Instead of saying, “I’m not smart enough, and I can’t figure this out,” you’d go, “I couldn’t figure this out yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually if I keep trying.” Instead of saying, “I was never good at math, so I don’t think I’ll try,” you’d go, “I was never good at math because I never tried before.” And instead of saying, “I messed up, I’m a failure,” you’d go, “I messed up, it feels bad, but I know I will learn from this for next time.”
In her research, Dweck classified people as having a growth-oriented mindset if they believed their abilities and traits are not fixed but can be developed and improved with hard work and persistence.
This idea became so popular and hyped because she found a correlation between having such a mindset and being more motivated, resilient, and successful – both in personal and professional life. If you have a growth mindset, you’re more likely to embrace challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning and are less likely to give up in the face of adversity.
“Do or do not. There is no try.“
In contrast, people with a fixed mindset believe that their abilities and intelligence are… well, fixed, predetermined, and cannot be changed.
“So certain are you. Always with you what cannot be done.“
They may view challenges and setbacks as threats to their personality, their sense of competence, and so they’ll try to avoid them.
“Moving stones around is one thing; this is totally different.“
And they give up more quickly when faced with obstacles.
“You want the impossible.“
Important to note: having a growth-oriented or fixed mindset can be situational. You can be unstoppable in one part of your life and self-limiting in another. What’s great is that once you have identified an area where you react with a fixed mindset, you can work to change that with deliberate effort and practice.
“Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.“
the top 3 things you can do
So here are the top 3 things you can do as a leader to develop and maintain a growth-oriented mindset
- say yes
- follow the f-words
- make space for growth
1. Say yes
While admittedly, a big part of this topic is about how you deal with obstacles, failures, and other hardships, I believe that there’s a more foundational level to all of this. And that’s, simply put, seeking out new experiences. Doing things you don’t usually do.
Now I’m certainly no gym rat, but even I know that if you want to get stronger, you’re supposed to have a varied training routine because if you just do the same things every day, your development will hit a plateau, your muscles will get used to the stimuli.
It’s the same with your mind and your neuroplasticity. If you’re on autopilot, doing the same things day in and day out, you’ll be less capable of handling anything new, anything that might disrupt your routine.
Getting out of the comfort zone, as the name implies, is not comfortable at all. But we endure short-term discomfort for long-term benefits.
Obviously, when faced with a decision, you’re never gonna sit down to weigh all the pros and cons, short term versus long term. You won’t have the time or the mental presence. But there’s a highly scientific method that can help you get new experiences: just say yes.
There’s this amazing Jim Carrey movie called “Yes Man,” which I recommend wholeheartedly. It’s loosely based on a book sharing the same title, written by Danny Wallace, who basically eliminated the word “no” from his vocabulary and chose to say “yes” to any opportunity or offer for a year. Some of those yeses led him to silly places, like meeting a group who believed that aliens built the pyramids, while others resulted in winning 45000 dollars or earning a promotion.
Now, of course, saying yes to absolutely everything is not the most brilliant idea in the world; you have a life to live, after all. But – and I know I’m gonna sound cliché – when was the last time you tried something new? Even at your job: when was the last time you raised your hand when they were looking for volunteers?
I know, you already have plenty on your plate. But there’s an element of momentum to this: the less you do, the less energy you’ll have to do things; the more you do, the more energy you’ll have to do things. I know. It’s very counterintuitive. But the more you say yes to new experiences, the better you’ll be able to handle the new things you didn’t choose: problems, obstacles, and challenges. Plus, there’s usually some upside to saying yes.
In a corporate environment, that’s how I usually expand my network and gain visibility with upper management. I just say yes to stuff. You need someone to learn a new process or tool and then train the rest of the team? I’m in. You have a new project spanning multiple departments? Hello, my new best friends. There’s a super complicated case no one wants to touch with a ten-foot pole? I’m your guy. And not because I know what to do, not at all. But I am certain that I’ll either figure it out eventually or find someone who can help me with that. And the reason I’m certain about this is that I’ve done it a few times already.
Remember, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
So say yes. Create new experiences, and see if there’s something fun or rewarding along the way.
2. Follow the f-words
Speaking of fun, when I say follow the f-words, I, of course, meant fun, feedback, and failure.
Fun is self-explanatory. If you chase the dopamine, if you do things that you enjoy and find fulfilling, you’ll likely persist in the face of difficulties and deal with any obstacles you might find along the learning curve. Think of any of your hobbies, from sports to video games to crocheting, and remind yourself of the level of competence you had when you started versus the level of competence you have now. You practiced, you put in the work because, at the end of the day, you enjoyed the activity and wanted to get better at it.
Feedback admittedly can sometimes be less fun. If you want to be intentional about developing a growth-oriented mindset, there’s one thing I’d highlight. Remember, last time we discussed this, I asked you to avoid reacting when someone gives you feedback. The reason for that is the amount of emotions that can flood your brain, particularly if you feel like it’s an attack on your personality or core beliefs. It might not be, but you can still feel that way. That’s why the rule of thumb should be to thank the person coming to you and ask follow-up questions. This allows you to take your notes and assess them once you feel emotionally stable – be it in an hour or a day. This way, you can use the feedback you got as a tool for growth and development. Of course, assuming it was valid and valuable.
Failures can be a great source of feedback – even without an outside observer. My mantra is “you win some, you learn some” – now, does that help in the moment? When I realized I messed up? Not at all. But once the shame, dread, and anger inevitably subside, I do try to figure out if there’s value I can take out of this. I’ll be honest; sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes you were just human, and things happened. But the exercise helps me remember that this isn’t the end of the road, that I will get past this, and that I need to get back at it. Because it’s consistent effort that moves you forward and lets you develop.
Which brings me to my third point: make space for growth.
3. Make space for growth
And I mean that both for your personal growth and the growth of your team and individual team members.
While the central idea of having a growth-oriented mindset is that you can change for the better, this change doesn’t come free or on its own. You need to make change happen; developing yourself requires time and effort every step of the way. You might have to-do lists, a bullet journal, or you’re time-blocking your calendar. Whatever system you use to organize your life, you have to create space for that development. Block some time, add that to-do item.
Regarding your team, while it’s not something you can tell them to do, you can foster an environment conducive to a growth-oriented mindset.
You can recognize effort and progress rather than just achievements. Where possible, you can encourage your team to experiment, take a few risks and be open about what worked and what didn’t. Psychological safety, the topic of episode 3, comes back into play because your team needs to feel safe with you to openly admit mistakes and make them a learning experience for the whole team.
Recap
As I said in the beginning, I’m an extremely big proponent of developing a growth-oriented mindset. While it isn’t a silver bullet to all of life’s problems, in the last two decades, plenty of studies have proven its benefits – and not only when it comes to academic or professional performance.
Athletes who had a growth mindset about their athletic abilities showed more significant improvements in their performance over time compared to athletes who had a fixed mindset. Patients with chronic health conditions who were taught about growth mindset were more likely to engage in self-care behaviors and experience improvements in their health outcomes. And even parents who had a growth mindset about their parenting abilities were more likely to engage in positive parenting practices and report greater satisfaction with their parenting role.
So make sure you say yes to challenges and opportunities, follow the f-words and make space for growth.
What’s next?
Ok, so what’s next? Where do we go from here?
One of the advantages of adopting a growth-oriented mindset is a certain confidence. Confidence about one’s ability to recover and continue after a misstep, failure, or other challenge. Now, most of that is on the personal side. But when you’re being watched – and when you lead, you are being watched – you need to be ok with owning and sharing your failures. Despite every instinct telling you to hide them, be it because of shame or embarrassment. What can help you overcome these feelings is developing a strength called vulnerability.
This is what I’d like to discuss with you next time.
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Thanks for listening; I’m truly grateful for your time and attention.
Talk to you soon.