I’ve enjoyed reading Carol Dweck’s works on mindsets and found this article that explains the fixed vs. growth mindset. This graphic illustrates the difference in mindsets.
(courtesy of Brain Pickings), we see the the main differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset:
I read the section on relationships and substituted the idea of mate for employee.
People harboring a fixed mindset held on to the belief that their ideal employee would set them on a pedestal and make them feel perfect.
Do you have a boss like the above? Or is your boss like this?
those possessing a growth mindset would opt for an employee that would point out their flaws and help them improve as a person.
The mistake I have made is having worked for growth bosses for so long and not realizing when I was working for a fixed mindset boss who all the cared about was being put on a pedestal and make them feel perfect. That’s why the brown noses and ass kissers were getting rewarded. Now I get it. It’s those bosses were fixed mindsets.
The problem is in IT and data centers I think there are many more people who are fixed mindset than growth. Do you see this battle going on in your organization?
For people with a growth mindset, personal success occurs when they work as hard as they can to be their best, whereas for those with a fixed mindset, success is all about building their superiority over others. For the former, setbacks are motivating and informative input they can use to become better. For the latter, they’re a label and a sentence.