By Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
Abstract: This article examines what it truly means to develop a "growth mindset" within organizations based on research and practical experience. It defines the core characteristics of a growth mindset as believing one's abilities can be developed through effort versus a fixed mindset of innate, unchanging talents. While intuitively appealing, the article argues shifting to a growth mindset requires systemic changes beyond individual attitudes. It explores common barriers like reward systems, leadership role modeling, and resistance to change. Recommendations are provided for cultivating a learning organization through clarifying a vision, modeling growth, promoting psychological safety, and integrating learning into daily work. A case example demonstrates holistically embedding growth principles transforms cultures. The article concludes a genuine growth mindset necessitates consciously architecting a context where learning and adaptation become habitual.
The concept of a "growth mindset" has increasingly gained traction in both academics and organizations over the past decade. popularized by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, the idea of a growth versus fixed mindset has become widespread. However, while having a growth mindset seems like common sense—who wouldn't want an attitude of continuous learning and self-improvement?—living it day-to-day within an organizational context requires far more intentional effort than most realize.
As both a long-time consultant who has worked with a wide range of organizations to implement culture change initiatives as well as an academic who has extensively researched leadership models and organizational behavior, I have seen firsthand just how challenging it can be to shift from a fixed to a genuine growth mindset, both individually and systemically within companies. I
Today we will examine what having a true growth mindset actually entails based on both research and practical experience, explore some of the potential barriers to adoption, and offer suggestions for how leaders can cultivate an environment more conducive to growth-oriented thinking and behavior.
Defining a Growth Mindset
To start, it is important to be clear on what exactly constitutes a growth versus fixed mindset as outlined by Dweck and other researchers (2006; Claro et al., 2016; Murphy & Dweck, 2010). At its core, a growth mindset is a belief that one’s abilities and qualities are not fixed and can be developed through dedication and hard work. This contrasts with a fixed mindset which views personal attributes as innate talents that cannot be changed significantly no matter how much effort is applied.
A Growth Mindset Believes:
Intelligence, skills and talents can be cultivated through learning and experience
Mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process
Effort leads to mastery, not just innate ability
Feedback is actively sought as an opportunity for improvement
Challenges provide opportunities to stretch and develop abilities further
A Fixed Mindset Believes:
Intelligence and skills are innate, fixed traits you either have or do not have
Mistakes and failures mean a lack of ability
Effort is fruitless without innate talent or ability
Criticism and negative feedback should be avoided
Challenges should be easy or avoided to prove one’s abilities
The difference may seem subtle but has profound implications for how individuals perceive and approach challenges, failure, feedback and learning itself. Someone with a fixed mindset may give up easily when struggling or avoid improving skills for fear it will expose lack of ability. For a growth mindset person, challenges are faced head on as stepping stones and mistakes seen as a natural part of growth. This distinction has widespread application across all domains from education to the workplace.
Systemic Barriers to Adoption
While the benefits of cultivating a growth mindset seem logical, research and practice tell us shifting organizational culture is an immense challenge (Schein, 2017; Stroh, 2015). There are systemic barriers that must be acknowledged and addressed for any meaningful, long-lasting change:
Reward systems often incentivize the wrong behaviors. Most performance management and compensation systems favor results over process, instant gains over long-term growth. This implicitly discourages risk-taking, initiative and learning from failures needed for a growth mindset.
Leaders themselves may model fixed behaviors. When leaders avoid challenges, attribute success to innate skills or appear threatened by critical feedback, it signals a fixed mindset that filters down. Authentic role modeling of growth behaviors is needed from the top.
Entrenched cultural norms are difficult to shift. Organizations develop deep-rooted ways of thinking, decision making and performance evaluation over time. Challenging underlying assumptions requires recognizing and changing tacit norms that have been ingrained for years (Schein, 2017).
People resist loss of identity and control. Breaking from familiar patterns of thinking and acting challenges how individuals view themselves and their work. This triggers natural psychological resistance to preserve self-image and empowerment over change (Oreg, 2006).
Growth itself creates disequilibrium. Cultivating a growth mindset means provoking individuals out of their comfort zones through new learning, diverse perspectives and uncomfortable feedback. But disequilibrium threatens feelings of competence and safety (Kegan & Lahey, 2009).
For these reasons, most attempts to implement a "growth mindset program" that focuses only on individual training fall short without addressing the full organizational system (Murphy & Dweck, 2010). Leaders must understand how to change norms, make growth the new status quo and support individuals through inevitable periods of disequilibrium.
Cultivating a Learning Organization
Based on these insights from research and experience, creating an environment truly conducive to growth requires leaders to explicitly focus on shaping the organization as a learning system at multiple levels (Senge, 1990):
Clarify a Shared Growth Vision: Leaders must cast a compelling vision for what it means to develop a learning culture and growth mindset that resonates across levels. This anchors change efforts and gives direction (Kotter, 2012).
Model Growth Themselves: Leaders must courageously exhibit learning from failures, seek feedback to improve, and stretch outside comfort zones to demonstrate valuing growth over results alone (George, 2015).
Reward Effort and Learning: Performance management and incentive systems need revision to recognize taking smart risks, initiating new projects, collaborating generously and learning from both successes and failures (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000).
Promote Psychological Safety: Fostering an environment where people feel free to admit gaps and mistakes without fear of reprisal or loss of status is crucial for trial-and-error learning (Edmondson, 2018).
Make Feedback Ubiquitous: Establishing frequent, candid feedback as the norm through systems like 360 reviews, mentoring circles and developmental coaching helps people learn how to improve continuously (London & Smither, 2002).
Frame Setbacks Positively: Leaders must communicate that challenges and temporary setbacks will happen but represent invaluable learning if reflected upon well (Dweck, 2006).
Develop Growth Self-Awareness: Tools like multi-rater surveys, personality assessments and reflective journaling can boost insight into one's fixed tendencies to consciously cultivate new patterns (Kegan & Lahey, 2001).
Integrate Learning Into Workflow: Interweaving on-the-job experimentation, cross-functional project teams and action learning directly into how work gets done embeds development into routine operations (Marsick & Watkins, 2003; Revans, 1980).
While not exhaustive, consistently applying these kinds of organizational learning principles lays the foundation for a system that nurtures rather than impedes a genuine growth mindset over the long haul. Leaders play a pivotal role in architecting the conditions where growth norms can incubate and take root organization-wide.
Success in Practice
To illustrate what a true organizational "growth mindset" can look like in action, consider how one global technology company I advised successfully cultivated learning and growth-oriented behaviors across levels.
Facing disruptive changes, the new CEO launched an audit revealing a highly result-focused culture where setbacks were hidden and career impacts feared. A multi-year effort then systematically addressed every aspect of the business through a "Growth First" program. Performance reviews incorporated developmental feedback alongside outcomes. Cross-division collaboration broke silos. Training reframed mistakes positively. Experimental "skunkworks" teams prototyped new ideas.
Over succeeding years, I witnessed tangible shifts. People willingly exposed knowledge gaps, championed colleagues' learning and saw failure as a badge of courage. New ventures launched with higher failure tolerance. Leaders modeled admitting mistakes, while challenging each other respectfully. Ultimately, shifting mindsets systemically future-proofed the culture for ongoing transformation.
This example illustrates how embedding growth principles holistically transforms the very fabric of an organization. Not through brief training but reweaving the norms, practices and mindsets that shape daily reality. With patience and tenacity, leaders can incubate an environment where a growth orientation thrives naturally.
Conclusion
While the notion of cultivating a "growth mindset" seems intuitively positive, shifting mental models requires far more than individual attitude tweaks. Real change involves leaders consciously architecting a systemic context where a learning culture and growth-oriented thinking can take root and flourish over the long term.
Shining a light on both the promise and practical challenges of the growth mindset concept helps organizations seeking transformation avoid superficial implementations in favor of the deeper systemic work needed. By addressing cultural norms, incentive structures, psychological safety and more through an integrated approach, leaders can incubate environments where continuous learning and adaptation become second nature for individuals and the organization alike. The sustained benefits of a genuine growth mindset make such effort well worth it.
References
Claro, S., Paunesku, D., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Growth mindset tempers the effects of poverty on academic achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(31), 8664–8668. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1608207113
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
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Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2001). How the way we talk can change the way we work: Seven languages for transformation. John Wiley & Sons.
Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock potential in yourself and your organization. Harvard Business Press.
Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.
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Murphy, M. C., & Dweck, C. S. (2010). A culture of genius: How an organization's lay theory shapes people's cognition, affect, and behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(3), 283-296.
Oreg, S. (2006). Personality, context, and resistance to organizational change. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15(1), 73-101.
Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2000). The knowing-doing gap: How smart companies turn knowledge into action. Harvard Business Press.
Revans, R. W. (1980). Action learning: New techniques for management. Blond & Briggs.
Schein, E. H. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Currency Doubleday.
Stroh, D. P. (2015). Systems thinking for social change: A practical guide to solving complex problems, avoiding unintended consequences, and achieving lasting results. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). A Growth Mindset: What Does It Really Take?. Human Capital Leadership Review, 11(3). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.11.3.2
