How often have you heard ‘have a positive mental attitude and you’ll succeed’. Well, there’s allot more than believing you’ll succeed in business as Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University, discovered from her research.
According to Carol Dweck, success (in business and in life) is not determined by innate talents and intellect. Rather, business success depends upon our mindset – the degree to which we believe we have the capacity to cultivate our intelligence and grow our abilities. In her book entitled, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol identifies two primary mindsets – fixed and growth.
Those with a fixed mindset attribute their performance, and consequently their success, to a natural ability or talent. If they perform well and/or succeed, it’s because of their ability or skill. They believe their abilities are set and can’t or don’t change over time. A fixed mindset results in a false sense of security undermined by self-doubt, fear of failure and refusal to take risks, the need to prove oneself, and a belief that failure permanently defines one as a loser. That’s no way to live!
Those with a growth mindset recognize their ability, talent or skill but realize a great part of their performance is due to effort put forth. They learn from their successes and their failures and capitalize on the way the brain works to make new connections and facilitate change and growth. A growth mindset loves to be challenged, learning and self-improvement, a willingness to work for positive results, and a belief that you can control the outcomes in your life with effort and practice.
Are you curious about your mindset? Take the mindset test online to find out.
