Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset: The Art of Thinking
We all know those people.
No matter where they are or what they’re doing, they somehow find their way to the top with a smile.
It can be tempting to believe that these people are just universal favorites. In reality, though, often the only difference between you and them is mindset.
Luckily, with some intentional effort, anyone can shift the way they think to become happier, more productive, and ultimately more successful.
What is a Fixed Mindset?
A person with a fixed mindset believes that they were born with a fixed amount of intelligence, skill, or talent and that none of these things will ever meaningfully change. This person is more likely to believe that their successes are tied primarily to talent, and they may place greater trust in things like IQ tests.
But the beliefs of a person with a fixed mindset aren’t particularly interesting—it’s how they play out that matters.
Because they believe deep down that their intelligence can’t change, people with fixed mindsets avoid challenges, give up quickly, and don’t spend as much time developing their skills or abilities. They also feel more ashamed of mistakes and failures and are generally less motivated to achieve their goals. This isn’t exactly a recipe for success (or happiness!), so researchers recommend that we all aim for a growth mindset instead.
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What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is pretty much the opposite of a fixed mindset—it’s the understanding that your intelligence and abilities can always improve with effort. So, when a person with a growth mindset realizes they aren’t good at something, they understand that they aren’t good at that thing yet, and feel excited rather than ashamed.
What does this look like in practice? People with growth mindsets don’t run from challenges, failures, criticism, and setbacks since they see them as opportunities for learning and improvement. Plus, they are less likely to feel jealous of other people’s success and are more motivated to reach their goals.
Essentially, adopting a growth mindset flips all the negatives of a fixed mindset on their heads and sets you up for greater joy and success.
The Science of Growth Mindsets
This idea of fixed and growth mindsets isn’t just a pop psychology fad—it’s based on concrete science.
The idea of a fixed and growth mindset was initially coined by Dr. Carol Dweck at Stanford University, who discovered this phenomenon while studying the academic success of high school and undergraduate students. Further research quickly found that students with growth mindsets enjoyed science classes more, got higher grades (particularly in STEM classes), and saw fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
All in all, the long-term benefits of a growth mindset fall into three categories:
Developing Resilience
People with growth mindsets don’t see setbacks as personal failures but rather as a chance to improve and grow.
So, instead of feeling crushed by negative feedback and giving up, those with a growth mindset are more likely to smile, dust themselves off, and try again.
Learning Anything Faster
People with growth mindsets don’t feel ashamed of not knowing something or not having a particular skill. This allows them to spend less energy trying to prove they’re smart, and instead put that energy towards learning new skills. This makes learning more effective and efficient and sets the groundwork for becoming a lifelong learner.
Warding Off Burnout
Dweck’s research found that students with growth mindsets were far less susceptible to burnout, anxiety, or depression—but that doesn’t apply just to them. Adopting a growth mindset can prevent burnout for just about anyone, saving you from that miserable feeling of fatigue, helplessness, and lack of motivation.
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4 Steps to Developing a Growth Mindset
The benefits of a growth mindset are clear, but old habits die hard. Is it possible to switch from a fixed to a growth mindset?
Well, research suggests that it is! No matter your age, it’s always possible to change the way you think about the world. These four steps can get you started:
Look Your Weaknesses in the Face
Before you start adopting a more positive outlook toward your successes, you’ll need to look at your failures. Think about your weaknesses, and instead of shying away, think of ways you could improve or work around them. Remember, every failure or weakness is changeable and impermanent as long as you make that decision!
2. Fight Your Inner Voice
Pay attention to your gut reactions as you face setbacks throughout the day. When you hear your inner voice yelling, “I’m too stupid for this,” or “I can’t,” correct it as quickly as you can. Remind yourself that you’re not stupid; you just made an honest mistake. It’s not that you can’t---it’s just that you can’t yet.
3. Watch What You Reward
It’s a pretty natural reaction to reward the behaviors you like and punish those you don’t. We all reward our own actions in countless ways—from hyping ourselves up internally to taking ourselves out for an extra nice dinner.
This is all great, but remember to also pay attention to what it is you’re rewarding. To promote a growth mindset, reward effort more than just the finished product. Otherwise, you’re training your brain to like the destination more than the journey. B
e careful, though! Rewarding pointless or unproductive work is just as dangerous as promoting the finished product.
4. Focus on the Process
The best way to learn and work more is to learn to love learning and working. So, don’t shy away from the work. Instead, learn to love the ups and downs that come along the way to success. Remember—a setback isn’t a sign of failure, just an opportunity for growth.
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How a Growth Mindset Can Change Your Business
Just like individuals, businesses have either a growth or fixed mindset built into their culture, each of which creates a vastly different work environment.
According to Dr. Dweck’s research, businesses with a fixed mindset create a dog-eat-dog environment. Overall, employees she interviewed at fixed mindset businesses felt undervalued and unsupported. They were so worried about failing that they pursued less innovative projects and were more likely to keep secrets, cheat, or cut corners.
Growth mindset companies, on the other hand, saw potential in all of their employees—not just a few “stars.” Their employees saw each other as more trustworthy, felt more committed to the company, and were more interested in innovation. These traits don’t just create a more pleasant environment—they also encourage recruitment and bring in higher financial returns.
Interested in finding a community of other growth-minded leaders? Learn more about The Collective, an application-only group of creators using their services to enact social change.
