Leadership Lens: Get unstuck with a growth mindset

‘I am just not good at this’ and ‘I made a mistake and feel like a failure’…are a couple of narratives we probably have told ourselves at some stage in our careers. These narratives make us feel ‘stuck’, and the phenomenon is called ‘Fixed Mindset’.

Don’t get me wrong: having a fixed mindset and feeling stuck is normal. We are human beings with a wide range of emotional responses and continual self-talk. It’s not about being in a growth mentality all of the time; it’s about recognising when we’re stuck, when we’re in a fixed mindset, and having tools to move into a growth mindset.

What are Fixed and Growth Mindsets?

Our mindset shapes how we approach challenges, setbacks, and opportunities. Psychologist Carol Dweck, renowned for her groundbreaking research on mindsets, highlights two primary ways we view our abilities: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

In a fixed mindset, we assume that our talents, intelligence, and capabilities are fixed—hardwired characteristics that we either have or don’t. When confronted with failure, we may become risk-averse, defensive, or resigned because we believe it will reflect negatively on our inherent worth.

In contrast, a growth mindset believes that talents and intelligence can be developed through hard work, study, and perseverance. Challenges become opportunities, feedback is a gift, and failure is viewed as a stepping stone to success.

For leaders, recognising when we’re operating from a fixed mindset is crucial. Whether it’s avoiding difficult conversations, resisting change, or hesitating to take bold action, this mindset can keep us—and our teams—stuck. By consciously shifting toward a growth mindset, we unlock innovation, resilience, and the capacity to lead with greater adaptability and vision.

In a nutshell, we can achieve great things from a Growth Mindset

Shifting to a growth mindset is a little bit like adjusting the settings on your GPS. Instead of seeing “dead ends” or “no route available,” you reframe the journey to find alternate paths, recalibrating with every obstacle to keep moving forward.

Vidya S. Athota conducted research for the publication Mind over Matter (2021) to investigate the impact of fixed and development mindsets in organisational settings. The study shows that leaders who embrace a growth mindset create work cultures that promote employee development, collaboration, and innovation. In contrast, a fixed mindset in leadership was linked to resistance to change and slowed organisational progress.

I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it”. – Vincent van Gogh

One notable example of someone transitioning from a fixed to a growth mindset is the renowned basketball player Michael Jordan. In his early career, Jordan faced numerous setbacks, including being cut from his high school basketball team. Initially, Jordan’s mindset was focused on proving his natural talent rather than embracing the process of learning and improvement.

However, over time, Jordan shifted his mindset towards one of growth and resilience. He famously said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Strategies to Adopt a Growth Mindset and Move from Fixed to Growth

Recognise Fixed Mindset Triggers: Pay attention to situations where you feel stuck, avoid challenges, or fear failure. Awareness is the first step to change.

Challenge Negative Self-Talk: Pay attention to your inner dialogue and challenge negative self-talk that reinforces a fixed mindset. Replace it with affirmations that emphasize learning and progress.

Reframe Challenges as Opportunities: Instead of thinking, “I can’t do this,” shift to, “I can’t do this yet, but I can learn.”

Shift Your Inner Dialogue: Replace fixed statements like “I’m not good at this” with growth-oriented ones like “I need more practice.”

Practice Self-Compassion: Replace self-criticism with encouragement. Treat setbacks as normal parts of growth, not as a reflection of your worth. Say: “I made a mistake and that’s ok. What can I learn from it?”

Focus on Effort, Not Just Outcomes: Celebrate hard work, persistence, and small improvements rather than only big successes. Channel your inner Michael Jordan J

Seek Feedback Actively: View feedback as a tool for growth rather than as criticism. Ask, “What can I learn here?”

Surround Yourself with Growth-Oriented People: Spend time with individuals who value learning, embrace challenges, and inspire you to grow.

Cultivate a Learning Mindset: Continuously seek opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills. Adopt a curiosity-driven approach and a life-long learning mindset.

Are you curious about our ‘Growth Mindset Masterclasses’? Get in touch: jessica@intactteams.com

About the Author

Jessica Schubert

Cultural Transformation & Leadership Expert

Teams, individuals and organisations face different challenges. My mission is to listen, understand and tailor learning solutions that fit your cultural and organisational goals. My steps to transform people, culture and businesses:

Conversation

Listen and understand your challenges

Consult

Suggest tailored learning solutions

Co-create

Include leaders in the design process

Coach

Deliver, facilitate and coach

Consider

Feedback and go back to conversation

With over 25 years of corporate experience and leading large teams across Europe and Asia Pacific, I understand all facets of leadership. I leverage my experience of dealing with power dynamics and organisational complexities and blend it with proven leadership models, coaching theories and adult learning principles.