Let me ask you a question. Do you think that talent is an innate attribute, specific only to a few individuals?
Well, research tells us that managers see far more leadership potential in the employees when their organisation adopts a growth mindset. It is a belief that talent should be taught and developed in everyone, and not viewed as a fixed, innate gift that some possess, and others don’t.
A Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset – which is better?
There are two primary ways in which people approach intelligence and learning: one is with a fixed mindset, and the other is with a growth mindset.
Individuals with a fixed mindset generally believe that their level of intelligence and talents are fixed and cannot be improved. They also tend to believe that the tasks for which they have relevant skills should come conveniently to them, with minimal effort required for success. This inevitably results in such individuals struggling with mistakes and setbacks.
On the other hand, those who adopt a growth mindset believe that skill, passion, and intelligence can be developed over time through hard work and practice. They seek opportunities to get challenged and stretch beyond their expected capacity. The key mantra for a growth mindset is “Bring it on!”
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
In companies with such cultures, employees tend to be more innovative, collaborative, and keen to learning and growing. Here are a few ways in which individuals can nurture a growth mindset in organisations.
Maintain a High Value in Learning
Companies that genuinely want to invest in a growth mindset view learning as the key aspect of the workplace. Funding your employees’ development and investing in programs to integrate new skills or experiences will prove to be vastly beneficial. When you cultivate such practices in your team, you foster motivation, productivity, and active engagement.
Admit when Failures Occur
Employees with growth-mindsets generally view failure as a part of the journey from success to significance. Instead of sweeping failure under the rug, they fully embrace it. Remember to ask your employees questions about what they learned about the business and themselves during the process, or what they discovered that they might apply to another objective. Furthermore, rewarding your employees also proves to be helpful if you want your team to be willing to take risks. In doing so, you may notice that your team will behave more ethically because your company stresses learning from both success and failure.
Welcome Feedback
One of the biggest hindrances to growth and innovation is when a leader is closed to receiving employee feedback. When a leader is open to feedback, it encourages others to be truthful with them about what is going well and especially, what is not going well. This mindset does a great job of encouraging people to put forth their questions and ideas, and readily embrace feedback from others.
It goes without saying that leveraging a growth mindset will enable you and your organisation to harness opportunities for innovation and success. It is time you start incorporating this into your workplace and reap the benefits. To know more about growth mindset leadership development, and how you can help it flourish within your team, check out our session for nurturing growth mindset.
