Book Summary: Mindset
Changing the way you think to fulfill your potential.
Author: Dr. Carol S. Dweck
Book Size: 304 pages
Book available: Amazon, For Free PDF You can contact me.
Moral and Introduction:
Carol Dweck combines her expert knowledge of mindsets to offer a game-changing approach to improving our lives by adopting a Growth Mindset in her book Mindset. Carol debunks the myth that innate gifts and talent are prerequisites for success. Instead, our students may increase their grades by having the appropriate mindset and working hard. Our managers can propel our organizations forward, and each of us can enhance numerous aspects of our lives.
Carol Dweck is a well-known psychologist from the United States. She is a psychology professor at Stanford University. She has also taught at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Illinois, among other institutions. She is a member of the Association for Psychological Science’s Fellowship Program. The World Education Federation honored her scholarly book Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development Book of the Year. The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe have all featured her work. Today and 20/20 have both featured Dweck.
#1: Fixed mindsets stifle progress.
People who have a Fixed Mindset believe that their abilities are fixed. According to a Fixed Mindset, some people are naturally talented and those are incompetent in life. Those with a Fixed Mindset believe that those who lack talent will never be able to develop them. Those who are born with innate abilities will never lose their abilities. Everything in a Fixed Mindset revolves around the outcome. If you fail or aren’t the best, it’s all for naught. Carol uses the examples of Enron and McKinsey to illustrate her point. They encourage their human resources departments to spend significant sums of money scouting natural resources from universities. However, the problem with this approach is that these gifted grads are not given sufficient training because they are deemed so gifted. Furthermore, these graduates are not expected to advance in their careers or take on additional responsibilities. Rather than condemning the system for presuming inherent skill is sufficient, managers frequently blame the graduates. Because these companies have a Fixed Mindset, they will fire people who aren’t flawless right away. The reason for this is that they do not believe that people can learn or improve.
Individuals with a Cognitive Perspective are frequently concerned with the opinions of others. They assume people criticize them all the time since they frequently analyze others depending on their competence for a task. As a result, people with a Cognitive Perspective are consumed with demonstrating their talent and intelligence. Carol claims that people with a Fixed Mindset center their entire personality around talent. As a result, they rely on others’ approval to safeguard their identities and egos.
#2: Growth Mindsets Encourage Development
Carol gives the example of a curious youngster as an example of someone who has a Growth Mindset. If a child has a growth mentality, he or she will rise to the challenge when faced with a difficult math assignment at school. Then they go home and want to work on more difficult arithmetic problems. Children with a Growth Mindset recognize that when we solve challenges, we learn more.
Having a Growth Mindset is a tremendous advantage. For people like this, the sky’s the limit since they are continuously looking for new methods to learn. Importantly, persons with Growth Mindsets aren’t obsessed with being better than others or getting the highest scores. These people get pleasure from pushing themselves to their limits to help themselves progress. They will practice constantly and understand that to progress, you must put in the effort and endure some setbacks.
People who have a Growth Mindset like being in the company of people who may be more knowledgeable than they are. Spending time with a little more brilliant people is seen as an opportunity to develop new talents. Furthermore, if a method is no longer effective, these individuals are always ready to ditch it and replace it with a new one.
Persons with a growth mentality not only improve themselves but also urge those around them to keep learning and growing. They realize that life is all about working together as a team. They are more inclined to succeed themselves if others are happy or more successful. People with a Growth Mindset are appreciative of their employees and grateful for their efforts as business owners. They are also receptive to other people’s viewpoints.
#3: Fixed Mindsets Seek Approval; Growth Mindsets Seek Development
Carol uses the former CEO of Chrysler Motors, Lee Iacocca, as an example. He took over the corporation while it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Lee brought the corporation back to life through quick decision-making and excellent employee motivation. However, his behavior dramatically changed after that. He began to relax excessively and flaunt his supremacy. All he sought was more affirmation from his peers. Lee exhibited a Fixed Mindset.
Lou Gerstner, on the other hand, took over IBM while it was in a similar predicament. The environment was stuck in a Fixed Mindset, squandering its energy on internal squabbles. Each employee was simply trying to do what was best for them. As a result, the corporation was unable to meet the needs of its customers. By tearing down the company’s structure, promoting teamwork, and employee recognition who supported their teammates, Gerstner was able to transform this. He also put himself on the same footing as his staff. As a result, he was able to interact with several employees of the company. Gerstner had adopted a Growth Mindset, which allowed for collaborative development.
Gerstner’s Growth Mindset allowed him to establish a new working atmosphere based on collaboration and growth. The emphasis shifted away from individual achievement and toward collective progress. At IBM, he was able to achieve long-term success.
Individuals with a Fixed Mindset are looking for approval, whereas those with a Growth Mindset are looking for growth.
Fixed Attitudes Failures are viewed as disasters by some, while failures are viewed as opportunities by others.
#4: We are defined by our failures.
Failures can either define us negatively or positively. Carol uses the example of Sergio Garcia, a golfer who acquired a Fixed Mindset and then withered as a result of failure. During one tournament, Sergio Garcia had a poor run. He then went on a wrath spree, firing one caddy after another before blaming his shoes. He removed his shoes and hurled them at an unwitting spectator. Garcia’s reputation was tarnished as a result of the uproar.
#5: The Influence of Your Mindset
Individuals with a Fixed Mindset, according to Carol, do not believe they can learn from their mistakes. Any failure is presented as evidence that their future will be filled with further failures. Furthermore, any defeat nullifies all of an individual’s past achievements. Fixed Mindsets will frequently blame other individuals or circumstances for their shortcomings because this attitude undermines their self-confidence. Alternatively, they will look for ways to cheat to gain an advantage. Rather than evaluating their flaws and learning as a result of their mistakes, they strive to forget. Fixed Mindsets, which believe they are the finished result rather than a continuous process, support these actions.
Carol uses Michael Jordan, the basketball legend, as an example of someone who has a Growth Mindset. Jordan, despite being probably the greatest athlete of all time, was not without flaws. He missed numerous game-winning shots as well as other dunks. However, it is Jordan’s reaction to these misses that is crucial. He would drill the missed shot over and over after making a mistake. Jordan’s ability to learn from his mistakes and work on his flaws was important in his success. Jordan blamed neither his teammates nor his shoes for his errors. Jordan was also well-known for being a driving force behind his colleagues’ progress. Jordan wished for his teammates to achieve their full potential. As a result, he was always supportive of their efforts to improve their game.
We like to see our heroes and idols as a superman who was born with superpowers. We don’t like to think about them as ordinary people who achieved amazing results.
#6: Fixed Mindsets Avoid Difficulties; Growth Mindsets Relish Difficulties
People with a Fixed Mindset are enthralled by simple things, but those with a Growth Mindset are enthralled by complexity. Fixed Mindsets have a hard time dealing with unpleasant events since they have to put effort into generating a favorable outcome. The importance of effort in achieving achievement cannot be overstated. People with a Fixed Mindset, on the other hand, regard situations in which they must expend more time and energy as a risk. It gets increasingly difficult to blame external forces if they fail as they commit more time or energy to an issue. Fixed Mindsets avoid challenging situations because they don’t want to be forced to question their abilities or make a fool of themselves.
#7: Fixed and Growth Mindsets Examples
Carol uses the violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg as an example of how a Fixed Mindset interacts with difficult conditions. Nadja was an exceptional violinist. Nadja had already received critical praise at the age of ten. She, on the other hand, exploited her accomplishment as an excuse to avoid practicing as much. As a result, by the age of 18, she was holding her violin wrongly and her fingers were stiff. Because of these features, she was unable to execute more difficult pieces of music. As a result, every time she was assigned a new song to learn, she became paralyzed by fear of failure. Because of her fear of risk, she stopped bringing her violin to lessons and stopped playing entirely.
In comparison, Christopher Reeve, the actor, possessed a Growth Mindset. After an accident, he became paralyzed from the neck down, which was a very terrible position for him. He was told that he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. He was, nonetheless, willing to take a chance. He took charge of his position and committed to a comprehensive training regimen. Christopher eventually learned to move his hands, then his legs, and finally his complete upper body after a lot of hard work. Some others thought this improvement was miraculous. Still, it’s only one example of how adopting a Growth Mindset instead of a Fixed Mindset can help you overcome obstacles.
Difficult conditions are often important for motivating people. Difficult events offer us a purpose in life; as a result, if we match this purpose with enough energy, we will progress.
#8: Our mentality is shaped by our childhood role models.
If parents want to offer their children a gift, they should teach them to relish obstacles, be intrigued by blunders, appreciate the effort, and never stop learning. That way, their children aren’t forced to be praised, as slaves. They will have to work hard for the rest of their lives to rebuild and restore their self-esteem.
#9: Your Parents’ Influence
From the moment we are born, our minds begin to form. All babies, on the other hand, are born with a Growth Mindset. Babies are fascinated by the world and want to learn and grow as much as they can each day. As a result, the environment in which a child grows up impacts whether the child retains his or her Growth desire or finally develops a Fixed mindset. Your parents are usually the most important factor in this transformation. Parents have a mindset, and their children will follow in their footsteps.
A Growth Mindset parent will encourage their children to keep learning and questioning everything. Parents with a Fixed Mindset, on the other hand, will parent their children through judgment, punishment, and telling them what is right and wrong. These parenting techniques have an impact on babies as young as one-year-old. Babies with a Growth Mindset, for example, will comfort other babies who are crying. Babies with a Fixed Mindset, on the other hand, are irritated when other babies scream.
#10: The Influence of Your Teachers
Teachers, in addition to parents, play an important part in shaping children’s perspectives. Some teachers have a Fixed Mindset, believing that their students’ abilities are unchangeable. In other words, they believe that some children are born smart while others are doomed to fail. There are, nevertheless, many excellent teachers. These educators will embrace a Growth Mindset, thinking that all of their kids can learn anything. These teachers’ teaching styles are more adaptive, and they have faith in their students. In general, this teaching technique improves the performance of all pupils, even those who appeared doomed to fail.
#11: A Growth Mindset Can Be Adopted by Anyone
It’s not as simple as picking up a few hints here and there to shift your mindset. It’s all about seeing things in a different light. People who adopt a growth mentality go from a judge-and-be-judged perspective to a learn-and-help-learn mindset. Their goal is to grow, which requires a lot of time, work, and mutual support.
#12: Moving Towards Growth Mindsets
The brain functions similarly to a muscle. Through repetition, we can train it over time. As a result, each of us can adopt a Growth Mindset by educating ourselves to think in this way regularly. For instance, suppose you failed an exam. If you have a Fixed Mindset, you may accuse yourself of being an idiot or blame your outcome on the questions that were asked. You can, however, choose to have a Growth Mindset. In this case, someone with a Growth mentality would acknowledge that they are dissatisfied with the outcome. They’ll figure out how to study better for the next exam.
A path toward a Growth Mindset can also lead to the creation of concrete life plans. It will take time and the help of others to develop a Growth Mindset. As a result, we desire people who are supportive and honest, and who are prepared to talk to us about our flaws and shortcomings.
#13: Getting Rid of Stuck Mindsets
Breaking out from a Fixed Mindset is particularly difficult. Fixed Mindsets are behaviors we’ve developed over time to safeguard us from emotional failure. Furthermore, many of us will rely on our Fixed Mindset for self-assurance. Assume you’re fighting to overcome your Fixed Mindset. Carol suggests that in this scenario, simply adopting the Growth Perspective in specific situations is sufficient to have a good impact. You may accept, for example, that you are a lousy athlete. Regardless, you will use a Growth Perspective in the most crucial areas of your life: work, family, and studying. Furthermore, you do not have a single mindset. The majority of people have aspects of both that apply to various aspects of their lives. As a result, the first step is to figure out which mindsets you have in certain domains.
Carol explains how having a Growth Mindset can help you achieve the seemingly unattainable. She asks us to think about how the world’s most successful people might react if they were to fail. You’ll almost certainly discover that they used setbacks along the route to achieving success.
#14: Some people have more opportunities than others, but we all have a chance.
It would be naïve to believe that effort is the only factor that determines success. An effort is important, which is why people with a Growth Mindset have a better chance of succeeding. However, there are other elements that influence your odds of success. Carol, for example, illustrates how resources and chances might help you succeed. Those born into powerful households with excellent educational opportunities have a considerably better chance of succeeding. However, just because your beginning point matters doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to improve and achieve the finest potential ending given on your resources.
Carol emphasizes that having a Growth Mindset does not imply that we should aim to improve everything. Accepting our flaws, especially ones that will cause minimal harm, is sometimes the wisest decision.
#15: Putting Growth and Fixed Mindsets to Work in Business
The most successful corporate leaders aren’t born with a big ego. Instead, they are the person who is always on the lookout for new information. They’re also not scared to ask questions and make mistakes in front of their coworkers. They believe in their team’s ability to improve when they make a mistake rather than dismissing them as failures.
Fixed Mindset bosses, on the other hand, are extremely harmful. To demonstrate their superiority, they frequently endeavor to be dominating and harsh. These actions encourage their coworkers to acquire Fixed Mindsets as well. As a result, rather than progressing via learning, the organization will become concentrated on individual goals. They’ll also try to achieve short-term aims by covering up blunders and screwing other people.
#16: The Growth and Fixed Mindsets in Relationships
Relationships may be complicated, and the majority of us will have numerous failed romantic relationships throughout our lifetime. These unsuccessful partnerships are seen as a defining attribute of those with a Fixed Mindset. They think of themselves as unlovable and seek retaliation for the rejection they’ve received. Rejection will be difficult for people with a Growth Mindset. They will, however, use it as a time to reflect on where the relationship went wrong.
Furthermore, the two mindsets have differing levels of relationship success. Fixed Mindset relationships are doomed to fail because both partners expect everything to be flawless without effort. Furthermore, both partners feel that love can solve any problem.