We can’t avoid failure in life. But failure itself isn’t as much of a problem as is the way we think about failure.
Some people believe that success is based on innate ability, characteristics or intelligence. We call this a fixed mindset.
Others believe that they can learn and improve through their own efforts — that practice makes perfect. This is a growth mindset.
People with a growth mindset are more resilient than those with a fixed mindset. They choose to see the positive aspects of failure. They rebound from setbacks. They fail better, and learn faster.
The good news is that you can change your mindset and the way you think about failure.
Why is it important?
Your mindset has a dramatic impact on how you react to failure and respond to challenges. It affects your learning, development and performance, as well as your resilience and health.
It also affects your ability to lead high-performing teams.
Leaders with a growth mindset jump at the chance to take on a new challenge. They are resilient through their failures and have a passion for learning.
So development is a key part of their personal ethos, work cultures, and teams. Those teams tend to outperform fixed-mindset teams, because these leaders use feedback and learn from their mistakes.
As you can see, a growth mindset is essential for every next-generation leader.
