Carol Dweck, a Stanford professor of psychology, pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, and world-renowned author, has posed a powerful question:
“What are the consequences of thinking that your intelligence or personality is something you can develop, as opposed to something that is a fixed, deep-seated trait?”
After decades of research, Dweck determined that people tend to hold two fundamental mindsets – the fixed and growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset think that their personality and intelligence are “fixed,” therefore, unchangeable. They constantly validate their sense of self, protect their ego, and prove themselves. On the other hand, people with a growth mindset think they can cultivate their abilities and qualities through persistence and effort. This mindset leads to high confidence, resilience in the face of criticism and adversity, and a passion for personal development and learning.
Growth Mindset and Confidence
Developing and fortifying confidence is necessary to stop underestimating your abilities.
- Having a growth mindset. The road to success is paved with new challenges, risks, mistakes, and people that will doubt you. Even when you lose, a loss shouldn’t affect your convictions and dreams. Intelligence can be developed, so it’s important to believe in your capacity for growth in order to recover and relaunch. Rebooting is critical for your achievement.
- Taking risks. Keep challenging yourself every day to extend beyond your comfort zone. Always push yourself to try new things and leave your comfort zone. Find pride in your failures because failures bring new lessons. Otherwise, getting comfortable for too long can lead to complacency, which can prevent growth, learning, achieving, and expanding.
- Accepting failure. Failure is inevitable and necessary. Accept that failure will happen, but also realize that it’s not a reason for you to put in less effort. After a failure, give yourself some time to recuperate, see why and how you failed, and then look forward again.
- No room for perfectionism or self-doubt. Success is a mindset, and you don’t have to be perfect. Perfectionists always need to prove to themselves that they have worth. Even when they’re very successful, they tend to feel chronically anxious or depressed because they can never feel perfect. Instead, work to develop more positive thought patterns through meditation, behavioral therapy, and avoiding negative self-talk.
To change a fixed mindset, you first need to recognize it. If a task is challenging, remind yourself that it’s an opportunity to improve and learn instead of thinking that it’s a reflection of your worth. HR managers should advise their personnel to focus on effort rather than having quick accomplishments on their minds. Also, great managers never try to prove they are better than others or undermine others to increase their power. They are focused on improving themselves. That way, they lead by example and influence others effectively.
Are you trying to motivate your employees and build their confidence by helping them develop a growth mindset? If so, I would be glad to help. Book an appointment with me at https://go.oncehub.com/GregNichvalodoff or call me at +1 (604) 943-0800.
