What? How can we be our worst enemy? Let’s delve into just one arena where we might be hurting ourselves. I am going to reference information from a terrific book. Carol S. Dweck wrote “Mindset,” published in 2016. Her “mindset” analysis will blow your mind!
Developing our personality to be our worst enemy starts in childhood. Think about your own children or young children. If you give the child a holiday gift that is above their “level,” some kids will be excited to learn. Other kids will reject the gift as too hard, not interesting, or overwhelming. What is behind the difference in attitudes? Dr. Dweck calls it “mindset.” The excited kids are likely to have a growth mindset – they like learning, trying to do things, are okay with failure. The kids who reject the gift may be of a fixed mindset. They are the ones who need to be right, superior, know-it-alls, perfect. They have a fear of failure, a fear of being wrong, a fear of appearing weak.
Fast forward to adulthood. Do you remember the CEO Lee Iacocca? He was an automobile executive who was president (1978–92) and chairperson of the board (1979–92) of Chrysler Corporation. Initially Mr. Iacocca was successful. But then his fixed mindset became apparent, and he kept bringing out the same car models over and over with few changes. Unfortunately, the buyers were not interested. Japanese companies were completely rethinking what cars should look like and how they should run. We know the Japanese cars took over the market.
The fixed mindset kept Iacocca surrounding himself with yes-sayers, firing the critics, losing touch with the field’s direction. He became a non-learner.
There are zillions of examples of both mindsets and the results of fixed versus growth mindsets. Here is a growth mindset example. IBM, once famous and fabulous, plunged into debt of over 17 billion dollars. What came out of the IBM disaster? Xerox. Anne Mulcahy took over Xerox in 2000. At that time Xerox copiers could no longer sell their machines. But under the direction of Ms. Mulcahy, three years later she had achieved “the hottest turnaround” reported Fortune Magazine in 2004.
How did she do this? Mulcahy went into a learning mode. She learned about debt, inventory, taxes and how every decision impacted the balance sheet. She sought counsel from others, she worked side by side with employees, saving the company in body and spirit. This is a growth mindset.
Looking at our own situation. How has a fixed mindset created our present condition? Did we fear applying for advancement, preferring to be the best know-it-all in our department? Did we marry someone who agreed with us and live an unchallenged life? Have we said no to opportunities to gain experience and learn and explore?
The challenge is to open our minds to the growth mindset. A mind, like a parachute, works best when open. Is you parachute open? Growth comes with disappointment, challenge, failure, and multiple attempts. Can we make 1000 unsuccessful light bulbs like the inventor Edison? Can we not give up and see the value in the process?
This week I challenge you to explore your thought process. Is it one of a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? Can you choose a growth mindset course of action this week? If you are not sure, I highly recommend reading “Mindset” and learning more about this lifestyle.
Best to all of you,
Dr. Pepper