Do your people believe they can be better tomorrow?

Do your people believe they can be better tomorrow?

A few years ago, I became aware of a groundbreaking idea developed by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success. The idea is simple, but the impact is profound, especially for transforming organizations. Dweck convincingly argues that there are two mindsets, fixed and growth.

The fixed mindset is the most prevalent. A person with a fixed mindset believes fundamental aptitudes, like intelligence or talent, are fixed traits. People with a fixed mindset see failures as immovable objects—the result of forces beyond their control.

People with a growth mindset see the world altogether differently. They believe they can develop their most basic abilities through dedication and diligence. Brains and talents are just the starting point. These wonderful people spend their time developing themselves and continuously improving. Failures become learning experiences—bridges to future success.

When we look at research from organizations in different stages of digital transformation, we see some interesting parallels. People working at digitally maturing organizations tend to believe their teams and organizations have the power to adapt to digital disruption and expand their capabilities. People from organizations new to digital business have very different views. These people see disruption as a market force outside of their control. The findings suggest a correlation between digital maturity and mindset, although the relationship is likely more complex than just causal.

Arguably, when leaders have a growth mindset and practice evangelizing the growth mindset, people within the organization grow and adapt to change. They also adopt the growth mindset. The growth mindset is critical to building a culture of innovation. Without learning to experiment rapidly with new ideas continuously and effectively, failing and learning from that failure, innovation is impossible.

Digitally maturing companies practice the following Seven Principles of Experimentation:

  • Learn Early
  • Be Fast and Iterate
  • Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution
  • Get Credible Feedback
  • Measure What Matters Now
  • Test Your Assumptions
  • Fail Smart

Innovation requires leaders to encourage experimentation, resources to support it, and the courage to fail. Evangelizing the growth mindset can positively impact innovation, especially where innovation is encouraged across the organization, and can accelerate the transformation journey.


Carina Smith

Helping To Change The World One Lip At A Time ?? GMB/Labour Party/Retail Manager/Make Up Artist/Blogger/Trainer/Luxury Retail Store Manager

1 年

I love this Lenwood "fall in love with the problem not the solution" these problems give us the growing room we need to move forward.

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?? Jonathan Smith ??

The Business & Marketing Therapist

1 年

Can’t fight human nature innovation (creativity) is a biological trait. What an “aware” leader can do is to recognise this and utilise their innovators for certain tasks and the processors for others. Everyone wins, everyone contributes and everyone feels valued ?? We can’t all be creatives and innovators… who will do all the hard work???????

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Timothy "Tim" Hughes 提姆·休斯 L.ISP

Should have Played Quidditch for England

1 年

Great blog Lenwood M. Ross as leaders we should be striving for a better tomorrow

Yes, I believe we are all capable of change. But change is seldom easy whether that's giving up drinking/smoking, learning a new skill or deploying "new thinking" at work. The challenge is that people tend to default to the way they used to work...

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