![\"Mindset:](\"https:\/\/staging-wmplo.xyz\/mark-c-divi5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/images4.jpeg\" "\\"Mindset\\"")
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\u201cA person who never made a mistake never tried anything new\u201d. \u201cAll that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.<\/em>\u201d Have you ever wondered why some people reach their full potential in life when other equally talented people do not?<\/p>\n Could it be the difference between high achievement and mediocrity is a result of one\u2019s thinking<\/em>?<\/p>\n Within the answer to these questions lies the possibility of profoundly altering your own life\u2019s direction, not to mention the lives and performance of every single person you lead.<\/p>\n In her book, \u201cMindset: The New Psychology Of Success<\/em>,\u201d Stanford Psychology Professor, Carol Dweck, reveals that people whose achievements are greatest have a \u201cgrowth mindset.\u201d\u00a0 To understand this concept, she contrasts it with a belief system and disposition more of us likely have been imbued with \u2013 a \u201cfixed mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n Limited by a \u201cfixed mindset,\u201d we believe our basic qualities of intelligence, talents and abilities are permanent traits.\u00a0 In other words, we abide by the false conviction that \u201cwe can only work with what we were given.\u201d<\/p>\n High achievers, however, instinctively embrace a more empowering and accurate paradigm \u2013\u00a0an attitude that says all our basic qualities can be developed over time through experience, education and mentorship.\u00a0 Consequently, these are the people who \u201cgo for it\u201d in life.\u00a0 They put themselves in more challenging situations in anticipation that they will make mistakes along the way, but will grow from them \u2013\u00a0becoming far more effective the next time out.<\/p>\n Fear plays a big role in influencing our adoption of a “fixed mindset.” \u00a0According to Dweck, people who have achievement early in life often become afraid to make mistakes.\u00a0\u00a0 Wanting to never \u201ctarnish their image\u201d or ever appear foolish, they become apprehensive, and \u201cdon\u2019t take on risks or develop the abilities they\u2019re capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIronically, people who aren’t concerned about having an image to uphold, nor the weight of other people\u2019s expectations as an influence in their early life, just follow their own path and more fully expand their abilities.\u201d \u00a0They see challenges as exciting, rather than threatening. \u00a0And they openly acknowledge all their set-backs, wisely seeing them as an entirely normal part of the process.<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, our upbringing plays a huge role in determining which mindset we assume. Dweck says many of us grew up having our talents <\/em>praised, when being lauded for our processes<\/em> (e.g initiative, risk taking, effort et al) would have been far more helpful.\u00a0 \u201cPraising talent puts people into a fixed mindset.\u00a0 People who are acknowledged for talent become worried about failure \u2013 about underperforming.\u201d<\/p>\n For leaders to succeed in the 21st<\/sup> Century, Dweck insists they will need to fully embrace a “growth mindset” \u2013 in their own lives and in their perspective of others.<\/p>\n To get there, we need to acknowledge that a desire for perfection and routine successes flies in the face of our humanity. \u00a0Typically, we learn more from our failures than from our successes.\u00a0 So we must stop ignoring this wisdom by avoiding challenges and choosing life\u2019s safer routes.<\/p>\n In fact, Dweck, asserts that a focus on perfection subverts the learning process. We know that successes never comes easy and almost always require trial and error.\u00a0 But all too often, we judge ourselves \u2013 and our subordinates \u2013 only by successful outcomes.\u00a0\u00a0 This, is perverse.<\/p>\n Dweck encourages us to be models for the “growth mindset.” \u00a0She wants us to get out of our comfort zones \u2013 to be much more willing to try, to experiment and to scrape our knees a bit.\u00a0 Because our brain is a muscle that grows stronger with use, it forms more connections by stretching.\u00a0 And by welcoming harder things (where confusion and struggle are likely to appear), we create more neurons and effectively grow our brains.<\/p>\n Finally, you\u2019ll need a “growth mindset” in order to effectively manage other people in a rapidly evolving workplace. \u00a0Accept that no one who works for you ever arrived on the job fully formed. \u00a0 We’re all works in progress, as long as we continue to grow.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Albert Einstein<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Albert Einstein<\/em><\/p>\n