Mindset (New Psychology Of Success) by Carol S. Dwek – Book Summary

What is the role of our mindset in what we are or what we become? Can our successes and failures be there in our minds? The way we respond to and cope with failure marks the difference between mediocre and extraordinary. Carol Dweck helps us understand why what we believe in can make all the difference!

In this read, you will learn:

• Realizing the importance of mindsets.
• How to increase one’s abilities and intelligence.
• What made Michael Jordan into the player he became
• Understanding how to turn one’s fixed mindset into a growth mindset.

 

1- To Make A Difference A Right Mindset Is Mandatory

Do you believe that your intelligence is a fixed quantity? Do you believe that no matter how much effort you make, you will never get better at something? If you do not have the aptitude for it?

As it turns out, what do you believe about yourself? Can you shape the way you respond to and cope with situations? These are the adverse situations that generally shape the direction of our lives. The people who can cope with adversity better, are the ones who go on to lead happier and more successful lives.

Dweck divides people into two types. Those with a fixed mindset, and those with a growth mindset. The former type believes in key traits of intelligence, personality, and character, as unchangeable. And the latter think that with time and effort, all these traits can change and become better.

It is not difficult to understand which mindset will bring more peace, happiness, and success in a person’s life.

 

2- What Are The Two Mindsets?

Is intelligence like the ten commandments of the Bible? Is it set in stone? Does an intelligent child go on to become an intelligent adult, and can a less intelligent child ever catch up?

Fixed Mindset

Some people believe that just like our physical traits like height and body type, intelligence and other mental traits are also immutable and are genetically inherited.

This type is the ones who have a fixed mindset. These people look at things in black and white and validate their accomplishments against an external benchmark. Based on the result of their endeavors, they decide whether they have succeeded or failed. And in either case, they do not believe that they could have done any better. Instead of trying again, and putting in more effort, they refuse to try again. Their life is based on acceptance or rejection.

 

Growth Mindset

On the other hand, some people believe that these mental traits are improvable. And anyone can sharpen them with time. And they are not in fixed amounts “granted” to us at birth.

The latter kind of people is those who have a growth mindset. These people are not afraid of challenges and believe that they can get better. They can acquire new skills and improve upon their previous performances. Unlike the people with a fixed mindset, these people place importance on effort and engagement. And are more likely to lead fulfilling lives.

Alfred Binet, the inventor of the IQ test, believed that anyone can improve intelligence. It is possible with education, training, and a systematic approach. He never denied that there were individual differences between the levels of intelligence of people. Still, he maintained that such differences were not necessarily permanent. And did not obstruct the development of brainpower.

 

3- Efforts Reveal Your Infinite Potential Of Self-Improvement

Natural ability and efforts collectively derive success and accomplishments. Several accomplished people were seemingly lone rangers. And their works were the work of a genius who just had it made the moment they were born. This cannot be farther from the truth.

Jackson Pollock, one of the great American painters, is thought to have been of ordinary talent when he was young. However, he loved art. And with his devotion and unwavering zeal, he kept learning more and more. Thus he kept getting better. His example is a case in point of the importance of focused efforts, in accomplishment and success. It is ability and perseverance together, which can fashion a potion of achievement.

Thomas Edison who was known as the Wizard of Menlo Park was an ordinary child. He was curious enough to teach himself the workings and concepts of science. His utmost devotion and love for science led him to keep experimenting. Thus he did not deter himself because of numerous failures he encountered. His inventions were not sudden. Rather,s they were the results of a long-drawn process of application and effort that finally bore fruit.

 

What Mistakes Do School Teachers Make?

Often school teachers believe that they cannot really influence the intellectual development of a child beyond his or her natural abilities. Studies after studies have shown that teachers who approach teaching with a growth mindset are even better. They are those who believe that the growth mindset is possible to develop. A student who sucks at maths, need not always suck at it. A teacher can train him with the right tools to become better at maths.

Of course, all this does not mean to say that anyone can become a Mozart, or a Kasparov if trained correctly. However, most people can do a whole lot better than they think. The truth is that the potential of any human being is unknowable and with focused efforts, things that seem impossible at first, can also be accomplished.

 

4- Growth Mindset Converts Layman Into A Champion And A Leader

No matter how much we pretend to emphasize self-improvement and individual efforts, we still prize natural talent over hard work. We see Roger Federer, and we see natural talent. He is so effortless and moves on the court with so much natural elegance. What is invisible is the efforts he puts into his tennis.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team, and also did not make it to the College he wanted to play for. His initial foray into the NBA was unsuccessful with two teams rejecting him. All such failures for someone with a fixed mindset would have been disastrous. However, to Michael, it was motivation to train harder and become better. His love for the game and his devotion to it led him to embrace an obsessively disciplined training regime. The focus on getting better and not being defeated by failures is what made Michael Jordan into the greatest Basket Ball player of all time.

All the great sports champions have a growth mindset. Their abilities are complemented by their focus and efforts. They are not deterred by the setbacks but take these failures as a chance to improve themselves.

In the corporate world too, great leaders are distinguished by the way they approach business. A leader with a fixed mindset lives in a world that is defined by success or failure. The opportunity for growth simply doesn’t exist.

 

Examples Of Renowned Champions

Lee Iacocca tasted spectacular success at Chrysler Motors in his initial period. With time, he became complacent and showed a fixed mindset towards business growth. He focused on the tried and tested, and produced similar car models year after year. His attitude was trapped in his past successes, and he failed to notice the advent of Japanese Automobiles. Japanese Companies, on the other hand, reflected a growth mindset in rethinking the way a car should look and perform. Their models completely revamped the industry and set new standards for car manufacturing in the years to come.

Contrast Iacocca’s mindset with that of Lou Gerstner at IBM. When he took up the reigns of the Big Blue, IBM was in trouble, with complex hierarchies and internal disagreements. Gerstner had a growth mindset, and he completely revamped the way IBM functioned by abolishing existing hierarchies and reconstituting the structure of the Company. He focused on teamwork and fostered a culture of openness and communication. This approach worked wonders for IBM and ensured a blueprint of long-lasting success.

 

5- Role Of Parents And Teachers In Shaping Mindset

Not for nothing is childhood termed as the foundation for adult life. As it turns out, our mindsets are shaped and set in our childhood. In fact, the seeds of it are placed in our minds in infancy.

Who are the most important people in a child’s life? Yes, it is the parents and the teachers who play a vital role in shaping the mindset of a child. Very often, these are the people who take the position of a role model in a child’s mind. Moreover, what a role model does, or preaches, a child follows.

Parents can unknowingly expose a child to a fixed mindset by focusing on the wrong things. Focusing on the exam, or test results alone can make a child develop a fixed mindset that is characterized by black or white outcomes. Focusing on the process of learning and encouraging a child to learn new things can enable a kid to develop a growth mindset.

 

What Do Praise And Compliments Do?

Praise and compliments lavished on a child can be encouraging, but also prove to be harmful. For example, a compliment for finishing a maths problem quickly can lead a child to believe that being fast is equal to being smart, and when he or she encounters a problem that requires more effort and time, he or she may be unable to cope up. Thus, in this way, true learning and growth which comes with commitment and dedication can take a backseat in favor of being quick and looking smart!

Teachers who adopt a similar approach towards students will also do more harm than good. Instead of believing that a student either has it or doesn’t, a growth mindset approach will lead the teachers to ponder over “How” they can teach their students who are lagging behind, instead of “Can” they teach their students who are lagging.

Such an approach by the teachers enables their students to make improvements in their skills and thus show improvements in their performances.

 

6- You Can Change Mindset Anytime

We know from scientific studies, that our brain is capable of rewiring and learning from new situations. Thus, it is possible to change or transform one’s mindset. You do not necessarily have to spend your life with a fixed mindset if you happen to have it!

In fact, it is not really necessary to have a growth mindset in all walks of life. One can do with it in a few areas and leave the other areas as they are. Just identify the critical areas of your life which need you to have a growth mindset.

 

Curiosity Helps Shape Growth Mindset

We all have observed that babies and toddlers put almost everything in their mount. Indeed, they keep asking strange questions related to everything that they see. This tendency is known as curiosity. Sequentially, the curiosity that is so clearly visible in children proves that everyone is born with a love of learning. But the fixed mindset can undo it. It is possible to rectify this situation with a little hard work. And thus, anyone can change the fixed mindset into a growth mindset.

Temporarily adopting the growth mindset and trying to do things from the point of view of someone with a growth mindset may help. By doing this, a person gets to experience the positive effects of the growth mindset first hand, and this may help one to help understand the benefits of the growth mindset better, leading him/her to permanently adopt a growth mindset.

For many people, success is simply about establishing themselves and their superiority over others. These are the people who have a fixed mindset. Whereas, people with the growth mindset try to find motivations in the setbacks, try hard to achieve something, and try even harder to remain at the top. The responsibility of a person does not end with him achieving what he desires but continues even after that. One must, even after attaining his or her goal, keep learning and understanding new things which would always help to be the best among the competitors.

 

Conclusion Of Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success

It is strange how a simple belief a person harvests about himself or herself can have such a great impact on almost every aspect of his or her life. People with a fixed mindset end up hindering their own development, while the people with a growth mindset embrace failures and keep on getting better. The mindset of an adult starts taking shape from childhood, and so parents and teachers need to adopt a growth mindset, for children to embrace the same.