Are winners in business  just more talented? Or luckier than the average person?
Most people believe yes.
But Professor Carol Dweck of Stanford University has proof to the contrary. After over a decade of research her team has shown that in the long term, consistent success does not largely hinge on IQ or luck.
It relies on a particular type of mindset. If you develop this mindset ( and it can certainly be developed) your chances of achieving uncommon success are high, regardless of your field of endeavor.
Dweck calls that winning mindset the ‘Growth Mindset’, and the essence of Growth Mindset is as follows.
Growth Mindsetters have a core belief that their talents are not fixed. Therefore they are confident that anything they choose to do can be done better. Basically, they have a deep belief that their potential is virtually limitless, as long as they do two things.
1. Consistently focus on getting better at that particular area.
2. Try hard at it.
Effort, focus and belief are at the core of how a Growth Mindsetter thinks.
As a result, they may start off not being particularly good at something, but by concerted action they quickly get better at it. ‘Excellence through constant improvement’ could be the credo of a Growth Mindset oriented person.
With this attitude, Professor Dweck showed that even people with lower than average IQ’s often succeeded at a higher level than more intelligent people who didn’t dedicate themselves to lifelong improvement.
A startling notion, I’m sure to agree.
After all, if success over time is not about luck or inherent talent, then that squarely puts the pressure on each of us to commit to continual learning and effort to endlessly get better.
Do you have enough of a Growth Mindset ?
If your honest answer is No, it’s time to get to work.
