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Unlock Team Potential: Foster Innovation and Resilience with a Growth Mindset

18/06/2025 Leading a Team

In today's rapidly changing markets and environments, a company's success relies not only on creativity and resources but, more critically, on the mindset and adaptability of its team. However, many managers discover that the real obstacle to unlocking a team's potential is not a lack of creativity but the presence of a fixed mindset among team members. This mindset reinforces a fear of failure and resistance to challenges, ultimately hindering growth and innovation.

To overcome this challenge, an increasing number of companies are embracing the concept of Growth Mindset. Originally introduced by American psychologist Carol Dweck, this approach has become a cornerstone for fostering innovation and adaptability in global giants like Microsoft. This article delves into how adopting a growth mindset can empower teams and cultivate a more resilient and adaptable organizational culture.

How to Leverage a Growth Mindset to Enhance Team Innovation and Adaptability

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

What are Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset?


According to Carol Dweck's theory, the way we perceive our abilities, efforts, and success can often be categorized into two types of mindsets: growth and fixed. These two modes of thinking not only shape how we view the world and influence individual behavior but also determine a team's culture and performance. Below, we explore how these mindsets manifest in different situations and their impact on teams.


1. Attitude Toward Effort

  • Fixed Mindset:
    People with a fixed mindset see effort as a sign of inadequacy. They believe truly talented individuals should accomplish tasks with ease and without effort. For example, when faced with a new task, they might think:
    • "I’m not naturally good at this, so I won't do it well. I shouldn’t even try."
      Even if they manage to complete the task, they might conclude:
    • "It took me so much time just to achieve 70% of what others can do effortlessly. This proves I’m not capable."

Impact: This attitude discourages team members from investing time in learning new skills and, as a result, limits both personal and team growth.

  • Growth Mindset:
    On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe that abilities and intelligence can be developed, and effort is essential for success. They think anyone can improve through consistent learning and experience. Such individuals might say:
    • "Although I didn’t have experience in this area before, I can already see my progress through practice."

Impact: This mindset encourages team members to tackle challenges actively, laying the foundation for long-term success.


2. Reaction to Setbacks

  • Fixed Mindset:
    When faced with challenges or setbacks, people with a fixed mindset are more likely to give up. They see failure as a reflection of the boundary of their abilities and prefer to retreat to avoid further disappointment. For example, when a salesperson spends considerable time recommending a product to a customer, but the customer decides to 'think it over,' the colleague may feel discouraged. They might conclude:
    • " This kind of customer always browses but never buys. There's nothing I can do. Don’t bother pitching to them next time"

Impact: This behavior can hold the team back, as members lose the will to solve problems.

  • Growth Mindset:
    Conversely, people with a growth mindset view obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow. They focus on solving problems instead of dwelling on failure. For example, they might say:
    • "The customer seemed very interested when I was introducing the product's features, but hesitated after learning the price. This shows my product presentation was compelling, but I should focus on strengthening my skills in handling price objections.”

Impact: This approach builds team resilience, enabling them to face future challenges with greater confidence.


3. Approach to Challenges

  • Fixed Mindset:
    People with a fixed mindset fear challenges because they might expose their weaknesses. They prefer to stick to familiar tasks to maintain the image of being "smart" or "competent." For example, when asked to adopt a new sales model, they might say:
    • "This is too different from what we’re used to. I won’t be comfortable with it, and it might hurt my sales performance."

Impact: This leads to a lack of innovation, as team members avoid trying new methods or strategies.

  • Growth Mindset:
    People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, embrace challenges, seeing them as opportunities to learn and improve. They focus on the lessons learned during the process rather than worrying about the outcome. For example, they might say:
    • "This project was tough, but I gained valuable experience. I’ll do even better next time."

Impact: This attitude fosters creativity and enthusiasm within the team, driving continuous progress and innovation.


4. Response to Criticism

  • Fixed Mindset:
    People with a fixed mindset view criticism as a personal attack. They often dismiss constructive feedback or respond defensively. For example, when receiving feedback
    from their supervisors, they might think:
    • "It’s not my fault! Your instruction was unclear, and a bunch of factors have affected the outcome"

Impact: This attitude hinders individual and team improvement, potentially leading to complacency.

  • Growth Mindset:
    People with a growth mindset welcome criticism as an opportunity to improve. For example, they might say:
    • " Your feedback makes sense. Maybe we should give it a try!"

Impact: This openness promotes transparent communication within the team and drives continuous improvement in overall performance.


5. Attitude Toward Others’ Success

  • Fixed Mindset:
    When witnessing others succeed, people with a fixed mindset often feel threatened. They associate others’ achievements with their own shortcomings, leading to insecurity. For example, upon hearing a colleague receive customer praise, they might think:
    • "They just got lucky. It’s nothing special."
    • "Why don’t I ever get this kind of recognition?"

Impact: This attitude undermines teamwork and can even spark internal competition within the team.

  • Growth Mindset:
    In contrast, people with a growth mindset see others’ success as inspiration and an opportunity to learn. For example, they might say:
    • "Their success is really inspiring. I should learn from them."

Impact: This mindset promotes collaboration and mutual learning, creating a positive and forward-thinking team atmosphere.


Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Teams

Teams with a fixed mindset often cease to grow or make progress as members fear failure and avoid risks. In contrast, teams with a growth mindset have limitless potential because they embrace challenges, enjoy learning, and are unafraid of making mistakes. For businesses, helping teams transition from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset can enhance adaptability and spark innovation, providing a continuous source of momentum for long-term success.


Applying Growth Mindset in Team Management

  1. Praise Effort, Not Just Results

    Fixed-mindset team members often seek external validation and fear failure, while growth-mindset individuals focus on effort and learning. Managers should shift their attention to team members' actions and processes. For example:
    • Fixed Mindset Praise: "You’re so talented!"
    • Growth Mindset Praise: "You worked really hard to learn new skills and tackle this challenge. Great job!"

This shift encourages team members to focus on specific behaviors and self-improvement rather than solely chasing outcomes.

  1. Encourage Challenges and Learning

    In performance management, businesses should recognize breakthrough behaviors and provide opportunities for learning and growth. For instance, when facing failure, managers can adopt a forward-looking attitude, helping the team reflect on how to improve rather than assigning blame for past mistakes.
  2. Create an Environment That Supports Growth

    A company culture rooted in growth mindset should emphasize the following principles:
    • Facing setbacks: Shift from blaming to collaboratively exploring improvement strategies.
    • Breaking the stigma of failure: Avoid creating a culture where mistakes are never forgotten, as it can make employees hesitant to take risks.
    • Encouraging collaboration and sharing: View team success as a collective achievement rather than an individual competition.

Teams with a growth mindset are better equipped to tackle challenges, improve adaptability, and stand out in an uncertain market environment. As managers, we must reevaluate our leadership approaches, shifting from fixed to growth mindsets by praising effort, encouraging challenges, and embracing failure. Together, we can build resilient and innovative organizations.

Starting today, let’s lead with a growth mindset and pave the way for our company’s long-term success!

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