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Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Guest post by: Jeff Ogden

Article Overview: Is the brain static or can it be changed? Is it a muscle or more like a bone? This article explores the idea of a fixed vs. growth worldview.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

In reading the New York Times best seller Switch – How to Change Things When Change is Hard, I read about a fascinating concept I wish to share with the readers here. Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset.

Do these comments sound familiar?

1. “He’s not a very good salesperson”
2. “She’s one of the worst managers I’ve ever seen.”
3. “He’s not a very smart kid.”

Notice that each of those focus on a label – not good, worst, dumb. Those are examples of the Fixed Mindset. A person IS this or that. They cannot change.

On the other hand, the Growth Mindset believes that the brain is a muscle. As a muscle, it can be exercised and grow. Hard work and study is like a workout at a gym. The brain grows and adapts. (I’m a big believer in self-improvement and continual learning.)

The book shared the story ofa teacher who used an interesting approach to “dumb kids.” She gave grades of A, B, C and NY (not yet). That way no one was labeled a failure. The kids responded and grades improved dramatically.

To show how a growth mindset works, let’s take the comments above and put them in a growth mindset.

1. “He’s not a very good salesperson today, but I bet if he really works on it, he could be a great one.”
2. “She does have some management challenges, but she could become a great manager soon by working to learn new approaches.”
3. “His grades have not been great, but he’s really studying hard and I think we’ll see great improvement soon.”

See the difference? Each one can work and improve.

The fixed mindset is a rampant problem in business. Leaders label employees. Recruiters label candidates. In my extensive career, I’ve never been asked about a growth mindset – though I believe the best leaders exhibit a growth mindset.

Do most people have Fixed or Growth Mindsets? What do you think? Do you hear a lot of fixed mindset words, such as “He or she is this or that?” I’d love to see a healthy debate.

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Article Tags: b2b lead generation, CEO, CMO, demand generation, find new customersbrain, lead generation companies, lead generation company, management, mindset, sales lead generation, sales leads



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