Ira S. Wolfe is the founder of Success Performance Solutions and AQPlus, author, TEDx Speaker, Top 5 Global Thought Leader Future of Work.
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What if we're wrong? What if the future is one big crapshoot and we're all doomed to make mistakes? It's a scary thought because the future is constantly changing. It's hard to anticipate what will happen. The good news is that doesn’t mean we need to live our lives at the mercy of change. We just need to see these challenges and setbacks as stepping stones, not roadblocks.
I’d like to say that I came up with this glass-half-full plan, but I’d be lying through my teeth. Full credit goes to Dr. Carol Dweck, who more than three decades ago introduced the concepts of fixed mindset and growth mindset. Dr. Dweck, a professor at Stanford University, examined the behaviors of thousands of kids who had failed at a task, and she found that those with a fixed mindset were more likely to give up than those with a growth mindset. Dweck's findings are so profound that they now have had more than just academic implications. In recent years, the business world has not just adopted but embraced the power of a growth mindset. Here are five ways having a growth mindset can benefit you and your business.
1. A growth mindset can help you become a lifelong learner.
We live in an era that I call "never normal." The constantly changing and unpredictable landscape of business today means that old practices and ways of doing things no longer work. To stay ahead of the curve, we must be willing to evolve. It’s not just a matter of learning and mastering new things but accepting that we will stumble and make mistakes and that no one is perfect.
A growth mindset can help us become lifelong learners because it allows us to see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. When you make a mistake, you don't beat yourself up or think that you're not smart enough. Instead, you view it as a chance to learn and do better next time.
This willingness to learn new things will help you adapt to a world of "never normal." Lifelong learning is now essential, but it’s not just about acquiring new skills; it's also about keeping an open mind. A growth mindset allows you to seek out and explore new ideas, unlearn old ways and experiment with different ways of doing things.
2. A growth mindset can help you embrace challenges.
In today's competitive business environment, it's not enough to be good at what you do. You need to be pushing yourself to do better. This means taking on new challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone, even if you're not sure you can succeed.
Admittedly, challenges can be scary and overwhelming, and many of us are not hardwired to run toward the fire. Fortunately, with a growth mindset, one finds joy in the journey, not just stress.
Here’s one approach to embracing change with a growth mindset. In our AQPlus Mindset coaching experience, we created the Yeti Challenge. Yeti might seem like an odd choice, but it’s simply the combination of “Yet” and “I.” The first step is to recognize a negative thought that holds you back, such as “I’m too old to figure this out.” By adding “yet I” to your fixed mindset statement, your journey has begun. For example: “I can't figure this out, yet I will ask my coworkers about how they accomplish it.” But those are just words. The next step is to take action, to reach out to those coworkers and schedule time to meet.
3. A growth mindset can help you deal with setbacks.
One of the beautiful things about our future is that we will never know everything. There will be many times when things don't go according to plan. We will make mistakes, personal and professional. New and unexpected challenges will arise.
Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, "I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work." After trying and failing to perfect the lightbulb many times, Edison finally succeeded. Edison's persistence is a perfect example of how a growth mindset can help you overcome setbacks. Even if you don't have success right away, it's only a matter of time if you keep trying.
Without a growth mindset, learning is hard on our psyche. It involves mistakes and failures. But inherent in a growth mindset is hope that life is a journey and setbacks are temporary. People with a growth mindset dust themselves off, figure out what went wrong and adjust.
4. A growth mindset can help you become a better leader.
According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, people with a growth mindset are more likely to be successful leaders because they see the potential in others and are less focused on their own faults. Leaders with a growth mindset believe people can change and grow, which leads to a more positive outlook and better decisions.
Growth mindset is also increasingly being recognized as a key factor in employee retention and success. While many organizations view growth mindset as solely a matter of individual motivation and development, research has shown that a growth mindset also encourages a culture of learning in organizations. Cultures of learning prioritize re-skilling and upskilling.
5. A growth mindset can help you find meaning in your work.
Work is a necessary part of life, but for many people, it has become a source of stress and anxiety. In today's fast-paced world, millions of workers feel lost and even burned out. It's easy to get caught up in the grind and forget why you're doing what you do. That's where a growth mindset helps.
People with a growth mindset view their work as an opportunity to make a difference. Work isn’t just a means to a paycheck. This can be a powerful motivator, especially for people who may feel like they don't have any control over their lives. The growth mindset can help people find meaning in their work and feel better about themself.
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