In previous blogs, I’ve written about the importance of having the right mind set as a foundation to practicing the three elements of the Character Triangle. In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Stanford Professor Carol Dweck outlines two distinct mindsets people tend to have about their basic personal qualities:
- Fixed Mindset: People believe that one’s talent, skills, and capabilities are mostly fixed and finite.
- Growth Mindset: People believe qualities are a starting point and learning, effort, and persistence will expand skills, talent, and capabilities.
In a recent HBR blog, John Hagel III and John Seely Browne refer to this in describing the mindset paradox: the greatest threat to success is avoiding failure! People with a fixed mindset tend to be protective by avoiding or rationalizing failures. Those with a growth mind set, focus on learning and development. They actively pursue activities that will likely result in both failures and learning.
If we want to excel and succeed at work and apply the Character Triangle as a personal value guide, we have to have a growth mindset. Then of course we have to relentlessly practice with purpose and serious intent.
What is your mindset? …really? What are you waiting for then?
Live the Character Triangle,
Lorne