What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means

People who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts).

When entire companies embrace a growth mindset, their employees report feeling far more empowered and committed.

Don't confuse a growth mindset with a flexible or open mindset. Everyone has a mix of both these mindsets, and the mix evolves with experience. There is not such thing as pure growth mindset and you will always have a mix - just try to better it. 

It is critical to reward not just the efforts but the learning and progress and to emphasize the processes that yield these things, such as seeking help from others, trying new strategies, and capitalizing on setbacks to move forward effectively. In all of our research, the outcome — the bottom line — follows from deeply engaging in these processes.

Organizations that embody a growth mindset encourage appropriate risk-taking, knowing that some risks won’t work out. They support collaboration across organizational boundaries rather than competition among employees or units.