Dan finished his presentation in my workshop and now he’s looking at me for feedback. My first suggestion is to limit his caged-lion pacing back and forth. His immediate response, “Oh, I know I do that. That’s just me. Everybody knows I do that. It helps me think when I’m moving.” For Dan, I could tell, my coaching was going to be ineffective.

Coaching can’t fix mindset. Dan’s comments showed me he was operating from a fixed mindset, as Dr. Carol Dweck would call it. Dr. Dweck has performed decades of research on mindset and attitude as it relates to accomplishing tasks. Her research is documented in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. She placed a spotlight on two types of thinking she calls a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Most of us have a tendency toward one of these.

“ It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without agreeing with it. —ARISTOTLE

The Fixed Mindset

With a fixed mindset, we see all skills as innate. In other words, you’re either born with it or not. Some people are just smart, while some people are not. Some people can do public speaking, some can’t. Some people can remember names, others can’t.

If we know we’re not gifted in certain areas, fixed-minded people will fake it and hope others don’t find out the truth. After all, we don’t want to be seen as stupid. We don’t want to be exposed as a fraud. Every time a fixed-minded person is presented with a problem to be solved, he or she feels like it’s a test to either confirm the genius or expose the fraud. In sharp contrast, the growth-minded individual views a problem as an opportunity to learn.

The fixed-mindset person is happier taking on challenges he or she knows can almost certainly be accomplished; in other words, low-risk tasks. If a high-risk task is performed but not accomplished, it’ll show the fixed-minded person is really just a fraud, a loser, an imposter. Since you’re either born with it or not, if you fail a test then you’re a failure. You obviously weren’t born with it.

The FIXED MINDSET sees failure as a person.

The Growth Mindset

In Dr. Dweck’s research, children were given simple puzzles to solve. Once the puzzles were solved, the children were given the option to either progress to a more challenging puzzle or to continue with another simple puzzle. The children with a growth mindset were eager to try much harder puzzles. When they could not solve the difficult puzzles they weren’t upset with themselves. On the contrary, they were excited about the opportunity to learn!

People with the growth mindset tend to be more optimistic, learn more, live with a greater sense of gratitude, and feel more fulfilled in life.

The GROWTH MINDSET sees failure as an opportunity to learn.

“ Nothing improves until something changes. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Which are you?

If you’re wondering which mindset you lean toward, here is a simple test. Answer the following question by selecting the answer that feels most like you.

When do you feel smart and accomplished?

1. When you get the answer correct.
2. When you figure out the answer.

If you selected answer number one, you have a tendency toward a fixed mindset. You like to be correct. You like to see the finish line as the ultimate goal. The right answer is really the only goal that matters anyway. If you get the answer wrong, it will not feel good. It may even say something about you.

If you selected answer number two, you appreciate the work and the journey as you move toward the correct answer. While getting the correct answer is important, a more enjoyable part of the journey is the problem solving and the learning that comes with the process. Even if you get the answer wrong, you know you will still benefit because you will learn from the process. This is in line with a growth mindset.

Now here’s the good news…

Dr. Dweck found that we can change our mindset. In other words, if you have a natural tendency toward a fixed mindset but you’d like to be more growth minded… you can do it! Once you are aware of your mindset, you can develop new habits by consciously making decisions to step out of your comfort zone and by viewing setbacks as learning experiences, not as a confirmation of your inadequacies.

I have found that my students who are not willing to change lean toward a fixed mindset. They’re not open to the possibility they may be wrong. They’re un-coachable. And if they’re not coachable, then their situation will never improve from where it is today.  My growth-minded students are always willing to take a risk and try something new. They are always willing to take that next step.

“ There’s no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone. —UNKNOWN

Always looking for my own next step,
Russ

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Books mentioned in this post:

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Dr. Carol Dweck

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.