Mindset, Motivation and Leadership

With Carol Dweck

Part of the Series: Stanford Executive Briefings

People are fairly evenly divided between those with either a growth or a fixed mindset about intelligence and talent. And leaders' mindsets, Professor Dweck shows, influence their ability to grow on the job and to develop successful teams.

Leaders with a growth mindset (who assume talents can be developed) place high value on learning, are open to feedback, and are confident in their ability to cultivate their own and others' abilities. Leaders with a fixed mindset (who assume basic talents are carved in stone) place greater value on looking smart and are less likely to believe that they or others can change. How does this play out in an organization? Leaders who believe intelligence is static place little value in developing staff, and in turn foster a fixed mindset environment. However, leaders with a growth mindset value effort in developing abilities and thus evaluate and praise workers to create optimal motivation and teamwork. Mindsets can be taught, and Professor Dweck shares research in how a fixed mindsets can be identified and changed to growth mindsets.