Personal Development
LA Desk
03 May
In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck explains how a “growth mindset” — the belief that intelligence and ability can be developed — is the key to success in any field. While it may seem insignificant, having a growth mindset makes all the difference in how we successfully deal with our work, our relationships, and our lives. People who have a growth mindset are more likely to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
There are many examples of people who followed a growth mindset to great advantage. In our time we can recall MS Dhoni’s rise from a humble railway ticket collector to the captain who won for India all 3 cricket world championships, Jack Ma’s transformation from an English teacher to the founder of Alibaba while overcoming many failures, and being ever inspired by the amazing story of Dr Abdul Kalam.
Growth mindset is the belief that your intelligence and abilities can be developed through hard work, dedication, and practice. This mindset contrasts with a fixed mindset, which believes that these qualities are predetermined and cannot be changed.
Research has shown that people with a growth mindset are more likely to take risks, persevere in the face of setbacks, and continue learning throughout their lives. These qualities are essential for success in any field, from academics to athletics to business.
If you want to achieve success in any area of your life, adopting a growth mindset is a good place to start. Here are some tips for cultivating a growth mindset:
When you have a growth mindset, you view your abilities and intelligence as things that can be developed. This means that you are always looking for ways to improve yourself and your skill set. You are always striving to reach the next level. As mentioned earlier, MS Dhoni is the perfect example of a growth mindset. He not only changed sports (moving from football goalkeeping to wicketkeeping), he converted every modest opportunity and built his skills as he went along. He also gamely accepted the challenge of working as a railway ticket checker. Who can forget the transformation from the long hair and shy demeanour to the calm, steely-eyed world beating super leader, with an awe-inspiring vocabulary and presence? Along the way, he also transformed the way India played cricket and won.
This attitude is essential for success in any field. When you have a growth mindset, you are always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow. You are not afraid of challenges, because you know they will only make you stronger. You're constantly pushing yourself to be better, and as a result, you achieve more than those with a fixed mindset. A growth mindset opens doors to possibilities and opportunities while a fixed mindset stops you from exploring future readiness prospects.
Jack Ma failed so many times that it is a surprise he even succeeded. He failed his college entrance exams twice and was rejected for 31 jobs including the famous story of 24 people applying to KFC all except him being accepted. But he used each failure as a stepping stone to learn and grow. He used these setbacks to create his own venture, Alibaba, and take his life into his own hands.
People with a growth mindset see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, instead of treating it as a setback or personal shortcoming. Research has shown that having a growth mindset is associated with greater resilience in the face of setbacks, greater enjoyment of challenges, and superior levels of motivation. People with a growth mindset are also more likely to take on new opportunities and persist in the face of adversity.
This contrasts with a fixed mindset, which holds that your talents and abilities are set in stone and cannot be changed.
So, if you want to be successful in your career, developing a growth mindset is a good place to start.
The superstar Rajinikanth began his career very modestly, as a bus conductor in Bengaluru. After attending film school, his initial forays into acting were as antagonists. What made it more challenging was that he was a Marathi from Bengaluru, acting in Tamil and Telugu films. Instead of being limited by his constraints and resigned to a stereotype, Rajini experimented aggressively and eventually found success, taking a decade to reach superstardom. His entire life is a case study for the ideal growth mindset.
A growth mindset can be nurtured through many positive habits and behaviours. Combining hard work, good strategies, and continual learning these practices can help everyone achieve the highest results.
Here are some key elements of building a growth mindset:
No matter what field you are in, having a growth mindset is essential to your success. With a growth mindset, you will understand that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work, dedication, and persistence. You do not give up when things get tough — instead, you see challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow. If you want to be successful in your career, start by adopting a growth mindset today. To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, a growth mindset is the continuous remaking of a better you- “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world….. as in being able to remake ourselves”.
Also read: What is a future-ready career?