The Connection between Mindset and Performance

This past weekend I attended my daughter’s piano recital. If you haven’t been to one then you are missing out on the privilege of hearing the same piece of music performed by 22 kids! Actually, it’s a very sweet event and it brings joy to see the kids grow and develop.

I was really taken by one boy who looked to be about 10 or 11. He bounded up the stairs to the piano with his hair a bit on the messy side and one corner of his dress shirt untucked from his pants. He had a big smile and sat at the piano with authority. He started to play Ode to Joy and quickly made a mistake. He stopped, turned to the crowd and smiled. “I messed up,” he said with a shrug. He restarted and made another mistake. This time he turned, smiled, and with a shrug exclaimed, “I’m not on my game today.” He made one more mistake with a shrug before taking a deep breath and then playing the whole piece through beautifully.

As I sat there in the audience I was so taken by this young man’s attitude. As someone who has spent the better part of the past ten years talking and teaching about leadership development, I wanted to yell out loud “yes!” This young man exhibited what Carol Dweck calls a Growth Mindset. Dweck is a professor at Stanford University and one of the leading researchers in the fields of personality, social and development psychology. 

In her book titled, Mindset, Dweck shared her discovery that there are two types of mindsets. In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They also believe that talent alone creates success – without effort.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.

In other words, people with a growth mindset see failure as an action and not as identity. This places them in a position to be lifelong learners who like to try new things. While those with a fixed mindset avoid risk, stick to what they know, and don’t like to be challenged.

In her book, Dweck shares an example of a company that looks for a growth mindset in their interviews. During the process of searching for astronauts, NASA asks all the candidates to share a time they have failed and how they dealt with that failure. They know that a resume filled with accomplishments is a good start, but finding someone who has experienced failure and overcome it is even more powerful.

The good news is that mindset can be changed. As with all change it requires self-awareness and a decision as the first steps and an ability to believe that change is possible. Think about your day to day work and think about that little boy at the piano. Do you readily accept and admit to your mistakes and try again? Or do you give up and make excuses? I know in my life there are places where I can exhibit a growth mindset and others where I fall into the trap of fixed thinking. One of my personal development goals this year is to work on those fixed areas.

If you’re interested in learning more, watch Carol Dweck’s Ted Talks or read her book. I highly recommend them.