A Tale of Two Mindsets

The best book I’ve read recently on leadership and parenting is Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, a world-renowned Stanford University psychologist.   The essence of the book contrasts two mindsets (hence the title).

The first mindset is a fixed mindset in which an individual views skills and abilities as characteristics to be demonstrated.  In contrast, an individual with the second mindset, a growth mindset, views those same abilities and skills as characteristics to be developed.

Imagine two different baseball players, one with the fixed mindset and one with the growth mindset.  The fixed mindset player steps up to the plate determined to demonstrate what a good hitter he is.  If he misses, he has failed.

The growth mindset batter steps up to the plate with the goal of learning to improve his skills.  If he misses, he’s learned how to do better next time.

The contrast holds not just for athletes.  In study after study, kids and adults with the fixed mindset ended up more frustrated and more likely to give up in a host of tasks.

I’ve got a confession to make:  fund development is not my favorite part of my job.  I love the amazing leaders and business people I get to meet, many of whom have become close friends and mentors.  And I love the excitement of seeing God provide.  But it’s still not my favorite part of my job.

But it is where I’m learning the most.  I had never done fund development prior to leading the Fuller Youth Institute, and I’m glad that every week I develop new skills and learn new insights.

How about you?  What part of your ministry or leadership role is causing you to grow and learn?  How can you learn even more than you already are?  Wouldn’t it be great if our growth mindset was so contagious that it infected our students and churches?

©2008 Fuller Youth Institute