It’s amazing how so many clients nod their head when I start talking about a GROWTH MINDSET.  

It seems that everyone has a growth mindset… Or do they?

 

100 Episodes - Growth MindsetImage by designer491 from Getty Images Pro

What exactly IS a growth mindset?

Here’s how I define a growth mindset: it’s all about knowing what you know, and wanting to learn more. The keyword is LEARN. Simple, right? Simple but POWERFUL!

If I had to choose one thing that would help you improve your communication (and your life!), it would be adopting a GROWTH MINDSET.

This is a subject focus on in the latest Talk About Talk’s episode, which just so happens to be the 100th EPISODE

In this episode you’ll learn my TOP 3 COMMUNICATION INSIGHTS as well as some key learnings about adopting a GROWTH MINDSET, including:

  • The differences between a FIXED and GROWTH MINDSETS
  • The BENEFITS of adopting a growth mindset
  • HOW to adopt a growth mindset

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

One of the foremost experts in this area is Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, who distinguishes between a FIXED mindset and a GROWTH mindset.

 

100 Episode - Fixed vs Growth MindsetImage by gguy44 from Getty Images

 

Characteristics of a FIXED MINDSET:
  • You perceive yourself to have fixed skills, attributes and abilities.
  • You’re less likely to invest in yourself.
  • You’re defensive.
  • You’re focused on self-verification.
Characteristics of a GROWTH MINDSET:
  • You’re curious and open to taking risks.
  • You’re ok with being wrong.
  • You invest in self-improvement.
  • You LEARN.
100 Episodes - Growth Mindset - never stop learningImage by designer491 from Getty Images Pro

BENEFITS of a Growth Mindset

Now that you know WHAT a growth mindset is, let’s look at WHY we should adopt one.

100 Episodes - Growth Mindset - quote from Andrea Wojnicki

 

1️⃣ It SETS THE TONE for your communication 
  • When you have a growth mindset, you are perceived as a learner and as someone who is open to new ideas.
2️⃣ It keeps you RELEVANT
  • Everything around us is changing all the time, and we need to change too.
  • A growth mindset sets us up for future success by ensuring that we are ready and willing to embrace change.
3️⃣ It helps boost your CONFIDENCE
  • A growth mindset helps establish an equilibrium between nervousness and arrogance. 
4️⃣ It elevates your LEADERSHIP
  • When leaders adopt a growth mindset, they demonstrate openness and a desire to learn from their mistakes.
  • Leaders with a growth mindset create a psychologically safe environment for their team.
So far we’ve looked at the WHAT
and the WHY of growth mindsets.
Now let’s look at the HOW.

 


ADOPTING a Growth Mindset

The simplest thing you can do is START LEARNING

📚 Read a book
🎧 Listen to a podcast
👩‍💻 Take a course
🧠 Fill your brain with new ideas

 

100 Episode - Growth Mindset - keep learning
Image by Christina Morillo from Pexels

 

Once you’ve adopted a growth mindset, you can CULTIVATE it by:
  • Taking risks
  • Admitting publicly you don’t know the answer
  • Reframing challenges as learning opportunities
  • Allowing yourself to make mistakes and committing to learn from them
  • Asking for feedback
  • Replacing the word FAIL with the word LEARN
When in doubt,
I recite my growth mindset mantra:

 

100 Episodes - Growth Mindset - quote from Andrea Wojnicki

 

That’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the 100th episode of the Talk About Talk podcast. I am truly grateful to everyone who helped me get here. THANK YOU!

 

Please forward this to your friends who might like help with their communication skills. Thank you.

Have a great week.

Talk soon,

 

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