“Everyone has the possibility to grow. “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”
– Abraham Maslow
I recently came across an article by Carol Dweck. Dweck is a highly regarded professor of psychology at Stanford University and the author of several books, including Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
In Mindset, Dweck differentiates a “growth mindset” from a “fixed mindset” the following way:
A growth mindset is “the belief that an individual’s most basic abilities and skills can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.”
A fixed mindset is “the belief that an individual’s basic abilities and skills, their intelligence and their talents, are just fixed traits.”
Most of us have experienced a challenging time and probably had our mindset tested, maybe even changed? As a leader, you might have seen a change in mindset amongst friends, family and your team. I believe mindset will be a crucial factor to manage as we move closer to opening our business, adopting a growth mindset can supercharge your wellbeing and growth. Here are five ways to develop a growth mindset in business.
1. Practice gratitude.
Acknowledging what you are grateful for can have a very powerful effect on your mindset. If you are looking forward to opening your doors after lockdown on April 12th, you have much to be grateful for, many people are not going to open! This practice can make you feel better by shifting your mindset to a more optimistic one. When you focus on the good you have, you’ll be less worried about the things you lack. In business, this translates as developing your leadership skills.
2. Choose to be successful.
Making the decision to walk toward growth is the first step in embracing the road ahead. It is pretty well summed up by Jim Rohn in this famous quote: “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” The biggest mistake people make is not implementing what they know or have learned. Knowing and not doing is the same or worse as not knowing.
3. See challenges, not problems.
Inevitably you will hit a roadblock. Can you think of any recent roadblocks? I thought so. When you start seeing roadblocks as challenges rather than problems, your attitude will change. Instead of seeing a problem that needs to be fixed, you’ll see a challenge that can be overcome. Practice a growth mindset – if your words don’t match your attitude, you’ll be setting yourself up for failure.
4. Embrace the journey.
Part of running a business is implementing new things and making a few mistakes along the way. Finding what works and what doesn’t. Many of us fear parts of our business because it’s unfamiliar territory. By viewing your business development as a journey, you will give yourself permission to look forward to new challenges and understand that it is OK to fail (as long as we learn from our failures and don’t repeat them).
5. Celebrate your wins.
Successful business owners recognise and celebrate their wins. Did you renegotiate your rent successfully? Are you smashing your weekly targets? Added another team member? Revel in your victory! We can lose focus on our progress when we have our eyes on people who are further along in their journey or when we experience a few losses. The key to keeping your tank full is letting yourself feel joy and accomplishment over your successes.
“The strongest trees grow in the strongest winds. Not in the best soil.” – Peter Sage
