day 1970: Growth Mindset

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

Carol Dweck, a Stanford University Psychology Professor defines a “Growth Mindset” as this.  “Individuals with a growth mindset believe that a person’s true potential is unknown (and knowable); that it’s impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil and training”.  I like to believe that I see the world that way too and look for the untapped potential in people and ideas.  I once worked for someone like this and I can tell you that it was not only refreshing, but it was motivating and made all of us want to follow that person to the ends of the earth.  I had a meeting once with Steve Jobs where he asked me my ideas on a topic.  When I was done with what I thought, he did what Steve always did, he built upon the idea and he took it to a whole different (in a Jobian way – audacious to most) level.  I could only be inspired and in awe because he broke my thinking out to a level that I wouldn’t have dared to go.  It’s implausible to think that everyone can have a growth mindset, but it’s not crazy to think that we can all try.

One way God describes how we should bring forward a growth mindset is in how we encourage others.  When we provide encouragement we are being additive to ideas and efforts.  If we can find a way to be more like this then we can be the people who are known for caring, helping and supporting others.  Is there someone in the office who needs encouragement today?  Someone who needs to know that another cares about their growth?

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New Living Translation)