Each month, we select a theme to help our readers learn more about a specific personal or professional topic meant to expand all of our horizons. This month, it’s no accident our theme is “growth mindset.”
Earlier in January 2022, we announced the acquisition of VIKTOR Meetings & Incentives. This too, was by no accident. Motivation Excellence CEO & President, David Jobes, made it very clear to all of us when he purchased the company in 2018 he planned on growing Motivation Excellence partially through acquiring other businesses in the industry. He set a plan, shared it, moved through obstacles, kept on course, and now here we are…growing!
Fixed versus Growth Mindsets
Someone with a fixed mindset gets stuck in the muck and can’t see around an obstacle. A growth mindset allows a person to see possibilities even when they can’t figure out the best way to reach them, yet. According to this Understood.org article, people who are set on growth reframe challenges and are motivated to improve.
Entrepreneur.com reports that people who believe they can reach their goal look at failures as opportunities and thus catapult themselves forward even when others in the same situation crawl back under the sheets and go back to sleep. They offer 10 steps to achieve a growth mindset in business, which include becoming an expert in what you love, not being concerned with what others have, and being 100% accountable.
Cultivating a growth mindset is not always an easy task. If you want to start on that journey, you’ll need support. Here’s a tip: be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all. That’s right, lifelong learning is critical, and lucky for you, we wrote about that too.
Forbes explains in their article why a growth mindset should be part of your business strategy. They offer three actions to encourage such a mentality. Number one? Foster continuous learning. Here’s the reason: people who accept they have more to learn, search for more education. Those who feel like they already know everything, have nowhere to go but horizontally – ever seen a flower that grows parallel to the ground? It’s pretty rare; they must embrace a growth mindset!
Go, Go, Grow
The Growth Institute says mindset is the number one predictor if a business will scale into success. Leaders who encourage a growth mindset attract teams of proactive, accountable, and motivated solutions-seekers. They offer several ways to nurture a go and grow mentality, like embracing change, being self-aware, and having perseverance.
Carol Dweck is the original source of the mindset theory. In her book, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, she posits that success is more about a person’s outlook than intelligence and talent. Of course, motivation, gumption, and level of support help play a part in someone’s ultimate success, but an individual’s attitude can be a boost of fuel or a nail in a tire right from the word go.
How do you best foster growth in your personal or professional life? Comment on whichever social feed you read this blog, so we can share experiences and learn together. That’s another important factor in a growth mindset: being open to discussion.
