Embracing a Growth Mindset
2023 Chicago skyline featuring the Willis Tower, originally called the Sears Tower, after its original owner Sears, Roebuck & Co.
A growth mindset is a desire to grow and get better. It incorporates a bit of grit, a touch of luck, and a shade of inspiration.
Psychologist Carol Dweck describes it this way: people with a growth mindset believe their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication, resilience, hard work, and a love of learning. Talent and intelligence are just the starting point. In other words, a fixed mindset—the belief that we are limited to what we already know or can already do—is the enemy of growth. Or as Jim Collins famously wrote, “Good is the enemy of great.”
Consider the story of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Once an icon of American retail with the world’s tallest building as its headquarters, a ubiquitous catalog, and the beloved Christmas Wish Book, the department store giant ultimately collapsed into bankruptcy. Why? Because while the world was changing, Sears stayed fixed. From the stockroom to the executive suite, the company failed to adapt.
As leaders, we cannot afford to make the same mistake. We must model a growth mindset ourselves and nurture it in our people. Growth doesn’t always mean “bigger.” It often means becoming better. It means leaning into possibility.
Think about the ways humans have evolved in how we move and connect: from walking, to riding, to carriages, to trains, to cars, to planes, and even to space travel. Or from hieroglyphics etched in stone to words stored in the “Cloud,” where I’m typing this blog on a laptop for colleagues in Atlanta to edit.
Each leap has required imagination, experimentation, and persistence. Each leap has been fueled by a growth mindset.
The illness is the very human inclination to stay fixed on what we know. The cure is to surround ourselves with people who will challenge us to grow from good to great.
At b3 Remarkable, we believe that growth is not optional; it’s essential. And it’s always possible. If you and your team are ready to embrace a growth mindset, we’d love to start the conversation.
