Book Review #2: Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck

By Nathalie H Leadership, Mindset, Books 0 Comments

Last month I wrote an article about Fixed and Growth Mindset.

In this piece I would like to share my thoughts about the book Mindset, by Dr. Carol Dweck.

I believe this book is a must-read for anyone who is truly committed to personal growth or becoming a better leader. Not only because it is an undeniable best-seller (over a million copies sold worldwide) endorsed by Bill Gates but more importantly because it is backed up by decades of scientific research that is truly ground-breaking.

In the book, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but rather whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes it clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem or lead to accomplishment but may actually jeopardize success instead. With the right mindset, we can reach our own goals – personal and professional.

In the latest edition, Dweck explores the Fixed and Growth Mindset theory in fields such as Sciences, Sports, Arts and Education. She has also dedicated an entire chapter to business and leadership. The book is packed with fascinating stories about mindset in action, including the likes of Michael Jordan, Jack Welsh (former GE CEO), Jim Collins (Good to Great author), Charles Darwin, Marva Collins, Henry Ford and companies like IBM, GE, Xerox and Enron.

10 Takeaways:

The power of our beliefs – conscious or unconscious – will strongly affect what we want and if we succeeded in getting it.
How a simple belief about ourselves can guide our actions and permeate every part of our lives.
How changing our beliefs can have profound effects on our results.
Much of what we define as our personality is a result of our mindset.
Much of what prevents us from fulfilling our potential grows out of mindset.
A fixed mindset leads to constant validation and approval-seeking behaviour.
Practical tips and strategies to cultivate a growth mindset.
How many companies studied by Jim Collins in Good to Great had outstanding performance due to growth mindset leaders, as suggested by Dweck.
The story of Lee Iacocca, former Ford executive and Chrysler executive.
The link between the “fixed talented mindset” and Enron scandal.

If you haven’t read or listened to Mindset I can’t recommend it highly enough!