Greetings. If you haven't read Carol Dweck's fascinating book "Mindset" yet, it's well worth your time. In it Dweck, a renowned psychologist currently teaching at Stanford, addresses the popular notion that talent and our innate abilities are the real keys to success. Instead she argues that, while talent is an important part of the equation, the real key to success in any field is having the right mindset. She distinguishes between having a "fixed" mindset–one in which we believe that our intelligence, personality and character are carved in stone–and having a "growth" mindset–in which we perceive that our natural talents are simply a starting point that can be developed through our own efforts. She then shows how people with growth mindsets can develop a habit of learning and personal improvement that enables them to reach higher levels of achievement and greater results. And she also shows how all of us can develop a growth mindset even if we don't start out with one.
It's powerful insight for businesses and organizations looking to learn, innovate, unlock the genius in all of their people and prosper in challenging times.
We win in business and in life when we are committed to learning and growing in order to reach our full potential. While ability matters, our attitude and mindset might be way more important.
Cheers!
