What does having a positive mindset mean to you? Does it mean you always have to have a positive outlook on situations? Or do you see the glass as half full? Or can you be a realist when things aren’t going the way you expected and have some worries?
The fact is that one’s mindset is completely in our control. But I have found that many people have a tendency to be one way most of the time.
One of the best books on this subject is entitled “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. I was first introduced to this book, and the concept by a speaker who was teaching sales success. To be the most successful in sales or business, you need to have a growth mindset.
Carol Dweck’s huge discovery is that people have either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. Amazingly, you can change your mindset at any time – it is totally in your control. That means if you are seeing limitations….you can quickly pivot by seeing possibilities.
Those with a growth mindset, tend to look at all the possibilities and say, “I can do that”, or “That is possible.” Even if they don’t have the skills necessary at the time, they see that their beliefs about capabilities will exert tremendous influence on what they can learn and do.
Those with a fixed mindset, believe that one’s abilities are fixed, and they can’t be changed.
So, let’s think about a leader we know in business. When a new situation or opportunity confronts them, a growth mindset leader says, “Let’s figure out how to do this” or “This is the first time we’ve gotten this request, and where there is a will, there is a way.”
When a new situation presents itself to a fixed mindset person, they tend to say “We don’t have the time or resources to get this done” or “I don’t know how to do this and let me tell you all the reasons it won’t work” or “There is no way.”
I’m guessing we all know people who have a fixed mindset. When looking for a new job, a fixed-mindset person says: There are no jobs available for what I want to do. The pay is too low. They don’t offer the hours I want to work. (limitations)
A growth mindset job seeker says: Wow, that job looks interesting, even though it is a longer drive than I planned for. Maybe I can find a gym nearby, and I can miss the traffic by driving there early and getting in an early morning workout which will give me more time in the evening after work. (Possibilities)
So which one are you? And what about the people you surround yourself with?
No surprise – I am a growth mindset person, as most entrepreneurs are, and the people I spend the most time with are growth mindset people too. They see possibilities and opportunities.
Believe it or not, I do have people in my life who are more of a fixed mindset. I find myself regularly reminding them of all the possibilities. Whether it is spur of the moment get togethers, or new job possibilities, I know they can easily shift to become more of a growth mindset.
If you are looking to grow your business or expand your leadership team, you should keep these two mindsets in mind. People with a growth mindset will see the possibilities and will be open minded to change, which makes them great for sales and management.
Remember, each person has the ability to choose which mindset they have – it’s not a “life sentence” if you tend to be fixed. A friend of mine was incredibly open-minded and creative in business and was a top producer in sales (growth), but in her personal life, she approached life with a lot of limitations and lived in scarcity (fixed).
Another good read is “The Gap and the Gain” by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan. They show you how to compare who you are now to who you used to be, so you can see how far you’ve come.
Does mindset matter? A resounding YES. Can you change your mindset? Another resounding YES. Think about all the possibilities!
Onward and Upward,
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