The Downfall of the Fixed Mindset Leader October 9, 2022 by Belinda EganStop telling your kids how smart they are all the time. Did you know that studies have found that the kids in school who are told how smart they are often take on fewer challenges than those who aren’t constantly affirmed for their intellect? For the same reason, executives who consider themselves ‘visionaries’ or geniuses often don’t manage successful teams. The problem is a fixed mindset: the belief that one’s characteristics and talents are unchangeable. This mindset is much more profound, though, than just believing that you have a finite amount of talent or a stubbornly inherited set of flaws or quirks in your character. It affects everything about how you live your life: from the willpower you exercise in daily tasks, to the type of partner you settle for. And as a leader, a fixed mindset means that you’re probably not a high-quality example of what a leader should be – and your team isn’t performing as well as they could be, either. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006, Random House Publishing), laid the groundwork for understanding how our mindset (our beliefs about life and ourselves) defines how we treat ourselves, others, challenges that life presents us – and ultimately – how far we go in life. But why would consistently telling your kid they’re intelligent affect them in such a profoundly negative way? And why would a self-professed ‘visionary leader’ be less-than-ideal to manage a successful team? Because growth happens when we believe we’re ‘not quite there yet’. If we believe that the goalposts for our potential and life are forever moving, we keep pushing ourselves to do better. On the other hand, if we believe we’ve made it, there’s no more improvement to make. Here are some reasons why having a fixed mindset in your life, both professionally and personally, will hold you back from being the best version of yourself. A fixed mindset keeps a leader stuck in one place Imagine you tried to enter your bank through a door that says, “Push”. You push the door, and the door doesn’t move. Do you assume the bank is closed and walk away? Not usually. First, you’ll instinctively pull the door to see if the sign is incorrectly labeled. If that doesn’t work, you’ll check the hours of the bank. If the bank should be open but the door won’t budge, you’ll find another reason you can’t get in. Is there another entrance you should be using? Is there someone inside who forgot to unlock the door? Is there a sign explaining what’s going on? These are obvious next steps you’ll usually take if you can’t get in a door that should open on the first try. But a fixed mindset leader doesn’t apply this same set of alternative solutions to problems at work. A fixed mindset leader might assume that a project that’s hit a snag, a reduced budget, or loses a key member of the team, can’t move forward. This same leader might take this failure as an indication of their ability as a leader, instead of pinning it on reasons outside their control. They might become negative and sullen, and not very pleasant or energizing to be around. You can imagine that this type of leader doesn’t get very far ahead in their career. How could they, if they’re so easily discouraged by a snag? No one wants to promote a leader who’s miserable and can’t quickly think of a new solution for a problem at work. But you’d never believe that, right? You’d never become sullen if something outside of your control forced your project or your leadership trajectory off course. Take this quiz right now to find out where you stand in your mindset as a leader. Answer the questions as honestly as possible, so that you can identify areas where you could use a tune-up in your mindset. A leader with a fixed mindset doesn’t believe that people change very much at all Worse than believing that other people don’t change, a leader with a fixed mindset doesn’t really believe that they can even change all that much. And that’s a big, big problem for the leader and their team. When you don’t believe that you or other people can really fundamentally change: you don’t give yourself or others the benefit of the doubt when troubles arise you don’t spend much time at all on learning new things You don’t focus on personal development You don’t practice forgiveness when you or others make mistakes. How is a team made up of individuals with unique talents and challenges supposed to grow and thrive under a leader like that? They don’t. In fact, leaders with a fixed mindset tend to hire for talent instead of opportunity or creativity. When team members don’t live up to the potential the hiring leader places on them based on original assessments, the team members are chastised for it. How developing a growth mindset leads to thriving teams If you’re someone who places a high priority on self-improvement and personal development, you know well that you’re very capable of change. You’ve learned to enjoy the challenge of learning something new: the initial thrill of the challenge, the rush of confidence when you first recall new information or practice your new skill, and the determination that comes from pushing through the first failure. This is a growth mindset: the belief that you and everyone else are capable of change, and that life will open up new doors for you once you start looking for them. When you apply a growth mindset to your leadership, you lead teams that: Are autonomous, brave, and self-reliant Lean into challenging situations, understanding that learning and growing are more important than avoiding failure Tend to be more creative and open-minded Are kind, gentle, and respectful to others Your team will thrive under your care as a leader with a growth mindset. You’ll be modeling the type of behavior that shows them that exciting things are ahead; that change isn’t just possible – it’s inevitable! And it’s a very good thing, indeed. I’ve written a short but powerful guide to show you areas of your leadership that need your attention. Consider it your ‘starter manual’ for developing a strong growth mindset as a leader. Get started right away – the health of your team depends on it! Here’s your free copy of Unlocking The Power of Courageous Leadership