Carol Dweck introduced the Growth Mindset. It's all about the learning process, believing you can get smarter and more skilled if you put in the right work. People with growth mindsets like challenges, don't stop when it gets difficult and are good at taking feedback as it's an important part of the learning process.

They get inspired by other people's success, which fuels their ambition.

The growth mindset theory, as conceptualised by Carol Dweck, revolves around the belief that one's intelligence and abilities can be developed through rewarding efforts and dedication.

It is a mindset that embraces challenges and efforts rather than shying away from them, recognizing that facing difficulties is an essential part of personal growth. 

Individuals with a growth mindset do not easily give up when faced with obstacles.

The growth mindset is closely related to the concept of neural plasticity, also known as brain plasticity, which can be defined as

the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions, or connections.

Contrary to the concept of Growth Mindset is a Fixed Mindset. Dweck conceptualised it as a mindset where you think you're stuck with the skills you've got.

People with this mindset are not too keen on challenges, bail when it gets difficult and don't like negative feedback, even though it's constructive. 

One with a fixed mindset often gets jealous when others succeed and do not believe that putting in more work will pay off.

Someone with a fixed mindset receives negative feedback as a sign they don't have what it takes to be in their position; it damages their self-esteem and causes them to lose motivation.

Common Misconceptions

The Growth Mindset, as conceptualised by Carol Dweck, has taken many forms over the past few years.

In a 2016 article for Harvard Business Review, Carol Dweck explained how her ideas have gained a lot of popularity, but they also became somewhat misunderstood.

Dweck observes that certain educators hold the misconception that they can enhance a student's performance simply by instructing them to exert more effort.

She refers to this as a 'false growth mindset.'

Here are some common misconceptions of the growth mindset. 👇

1. You either have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset

People talk about the "growth mindset" and the "fixed mindset" like they're total opposites that can't exist together. But the truth is, we switch between these mindsets constantly, depending on what we're dealing with.

You might have a fixed mindset about something in your life, where you feel like things just can't change, but at the same time, you could be all about that growth mindset in another area where you're open to learning and improving.

It's not like we're just one or the other all the time; it's more like we flex between the two depending on the situation.

2. A business can have a growth mindset

You might have heard companies boasting about having a "growth mindset" like it's something they possess as a whole.

It's great that more companies are recognising how crucial it is to have this mindset, but here's the deal: it's not something a company itself can have.

It's really about the employees working there, the people who make up the company.

Do you have a growth mindset?

Having a growth mindset means that you believe in your ability to learn, grow, and improve.

It is the understanding that intelligence and abilities are not fixed traits, but can be developed through effort, practice, and perseverance.

It may be hard to define if you have a growth or fixed mindset yourself. 

No worries! 

We've built a test to help you analyse how your mindset is oriented. 

👉 Take the test, it only takes 2 minutes! 

The growth mindset test has 12 questions focused on your beliefs about certain scenarios. Get your results in just 2 minutes! 

3. A growth mindset equals having a positive mindset

When we're talking about making progress and moving forward, it's not just about being all cheerleader-y and positive all the time.

We've got to be real about our limits and deal with the stuff that gets in our way. It's not about pretending everything's perfect but about facing the tough stuff and figuring out how to handle it.

Imagine you're trying to build something awesome, like a cool treehouse. You're excited about it, but you know you've got limited materials and maybe a few tricky branches to deal with.

So, you don't just ignore the tough parts and pretend you have all the wood and tools in the world. Instead, you face those challenges head-on, figure out how to work with what you have, and maybe even learn a thing or two about carpentry along the way.

It's all about being real and resourceful, not just acting like everything's a piece of cake.

4. A growth mindset means that everyone can do anything

It's a common misconception that the Growth Mindset is a belief that "everyone can do anything".

Some say a fixed mindset means believing your talents are set in stone, while the growth mindset suggests you can keep growing endlessly like there are no boundaries to what you can achieve, the learning process is endless. 

You might have heard the "1% talent, 99% hard work" statement, implying that you can conquer anything with enough effort.

But let's face it: we all have our limits. We're not all born with the same potential for everything.

Sure, we can get better, but we've also got to accept that we're human with our own unique strengths and weaknesses. 

How to apply a growth mindset

The growth mindset may come easier to some than others but it’s something that, if practised, will come more naturally over time.

Understanding the difference between the mindsets will help you identify a fixed mindset at crucial moments in life.

Think you’ve got a fixed mindset? Commit to making small shifts in your thinking. You can learn to develop a growth mindset one step at a time.

If you face challenges that you’re not sure about tackling, instead of feeling discouraged or thinking negative thoughts, seek ways to learn to handle such challenges.

It’s an opportunity to learn.

When you try something, and it fails, don’t give up. Your efforts matter.

The journey to getting the results – good or bad – is as important.

It can tell you what steps you need to change. Once you acknowledge that growth will not come at once, you will be able to show gratitude for the little aspects where there is some growth. Gratitude will help you to stay positive.

Anything is possible with a growth mindset?

Nope, still not true, but it seems like a nice way to develop in your professional life.