Attitude or IQ – which do you think is more important to your career? Many people may assume that the answer is IQ. However, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck found that your attitude is actually a better predictor of success. Dweck refers to the core attitude that people possess as your mindset, which is the title of her bestseller book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
Dweck studied the core attitudes of people and found that they fall under two distinct categories – a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is one in which you believe that your abilities are set and cannot change. While a growth mindset is the belief that you can improve or develop yourself. Dweck found that people with a growth mindset outperformed those with a fixed mindset, even when they had a lower IQ. The deciding factor was the way people handled challenges and failures. Those with a growth mindset welcomed challenges and failures as opportunities to learn, problem solve and grow – leading to success.
Your overall mindset is said to develop at a young age, however, Dweck states that we are all a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets at some level. You could have a predominant growth mindset, but still have certain things that trigger you into a fixed mindset. It is never too late to make changes, understand those triggers, and develop your growth mindset. Following are strategies to help develop your growth mindset, which in turn can help you find success in your career:
- Don’t give up – When faced with failure or rejection, learn from the experience and get right back to it.
- Pursue your passions – What you lack in talent, you can make up for in passion and your persistent pursuit of it.
- Take action – Overcome your fear of failure by staying positive and moving forward.
- Give it your all – Don’t set limits on yourself and always go the extra mile.
- Expect results – Believe in yourself and stay motivated even in challenging times.
- Be flexible – Understand that adversity can help you grow and adapt your plan as needed.
- Don’t complain – Always look for the opportunity in a situation and stay positive.
“Once you start to change your mindset, you will immediately start to change your behavior. Play the role of a person who you want to become.” (John Maxwell)
Start today to work on your growth mindset and an attitude that can lead you to success. For more information, read Why Attitude Is More Important Than IQ by Travis Bradberry.