In ProVoke, and the ProVoke Methodology, I work with large and small enterprises and individuals to move them through the 5 stages of resistance to disruption. Once we master this, we are ready to create the Culture of Disruption (CofD) and begin active and meaningful innovation. In the stages of resistance, we encounter the strongest resistance from a Fixed Mindset. Changing a mindset is very difficult and this is where I spend most of my time! Below, I offer a review of Carol Dwecks’s book Mindset which further explains the Fixed Mindset phenomenon. Disruption and innovation involves many elements, and over the past and upcoming blogs and book reviews, you will see me exploring any and all dimensions to help us all be more successful in innovation, and the meaningful exploration of innovation!

Book Review: Mindset, by Carol Dweck

In Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006), Carol Dweck argues that beliefs are powerful shapers of goals and outcomes. Drawing on psychological research, Dweck reveals how our mindset – the fundamental view we adopts for ourselves – influences how we live our lives. Dweck identifies two broad types of mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.

The fixed mindset (FM) is the belief that one’s qualities (such as intelligence, personality, talent, etc.) are innate and permanent. As a result of this belief, people with the fixed mindset are constantly trying to set themselves apart from the rest of the world. They are always trying to prove that they have the innate “good stuff” right now, because in their mind, they either “are” or “are not.” Failure and challenge are feared because they carry with them irrevocable judgment about self-worth.

In contrast, the growth mindset (GM) is the belief that with effort and time, a person can cultivate and change their basic qualities. Rather than trying to prove themselves right now, people with the growth mindset are constantly striving to get better, become smarter, and work harder. Challenge and failure are regarded as opportunities to learn, grow and improve. And, they judge their true potential to be unknowable since it is impossible to predict what can be achieved with years of dedicated effort.

Here’s how mindsets work: by leading you to certain thoughts and actions, mindsets influence the path, or direction, you take in life. While the fixed mindset leads to one set of thoughts, behaviors and outcomes, the growth mindset leads to a different set. For instance, do we view failure as any setback (FM), or as not growing or reaching for difficult goals (GM)? Do we define success as proving that we’re brilliant (FM), or as stretching ourselves to learn something new and develop (GM)? Do we thrive on and prioritize tackling challenges and trying to overcome them (GM), or do we just enjoy success and validating our current abilities (FM)? Most fundamentally, are we our failures and successes (FM) or are we an unlimited capacity for growth, development and learning (GM)?

It’s not hard to see how the contrasting attitudes above (and many more) can direct our behavior in very different directions. Perhaps the most important point Dweck makes related to ProVoke and my passion for innovation is this: the fixed mindset turns people into non-learners. It leads to a desire to appear smart in the short run, rather than become smarter in the long run. It values protecting fixed abilities over developing new ones through effort and learning. The innovator cannot have a fixed mindset; she must have a growth mindset, in order to be willing (and indeed thrilled!) to confront challenges head-on, take risks, make mistakes, and constantly learn, adapt and challenge herself.

Indeed, the relevance of mindsets to business and leadership is enormous. Dweck insightfully analyzes examples of leaders with different mindsets in the corporate world. Lee Iacocca (Chrysler), Alfred Dunlap (Sunbeam), and Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling (Enron) all had fixed mindsets – and destroyed their companies in the end. In contrast, great leaders like Jack Welch (GE), Lou Gerstner (IBM), and Anne Mulcahy (Xerox) embodied key elements of the growth mindset and raised their companies to great heights.

In the end, mindsets are just beliefs; powerful ones, but something in our mind that we can change. Moment by moment, we have a choice which mindset we want to adopt. Awareness of our mindset and its influence is the first step; the next is to consciously put on the growth mindset at each fork in the path. We are all capable of this (in my growth mindset) because our minds are the greatest change-shapers in the world!

References:
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books. 2006