Moving beyond growth mindset jargon

Whenever a tech exec shoots out the phrase “growth mindset,” I can’t help but scoff. It’s impressive how confidently they misuse it. Borrowed from the research of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, the term originally referred to the idea that intelligence and ability can be cultivated through effort, learning from setbacks, and perseverance. It was a framework meant to empower individuals by reframing challenges as opportunities for development. But once the concept entered the Silicon Valley lexicon, it transformed into something far more reductive, and far more convenient for those in charge. In many tech workplaces today, a growth mindset is no longer about curiosity or resilience; it is a doctrine of boundless adaptability. When leaders invoke the term, it often serves as a subtle directive to absorb rising workloads and shrinking resources while maintaining unflagging enthusiasm. This rhetorical shift allows companies to reframe structural failures (unrealistic timelines, understaffed teams, and strategic indecision) as personal hurdles for employees to “grow through.” If a project deadline is impossible, raising concerns is dismissed as a “fixed mindset.” If constant pivots leave teams disoriented, employees are told to “lean into the discomfort.” This fosters an environment of chronic dissatisfaction where professional development becomes a competitive sport and competence is never enough. In this culture, admitting a lack of expertise is no longer a factual statement; it is treated as evidence of insufficient ambition, and burnout becomes the employee’s problem to solve rather than an organizational failure to address. Dweck’s original research was intended to unlock potential through meaningful, supported effort, not to justify relentless workloads or deny the reality of structural limitations. When companies appropriate the language of psychology to promote resilience without providing resources, they distort the concept beyond recognition. If the tech industry genuinely values growth, it must reclaim the term from its own misapplication. That means leaders acknowledging when conditions are unreasonable and realizing that sustainable progress requires more than just "leaning in." Real growth mindset looks like a manager admitting, "We didn't scope this project correctly," and providing the time to fix it, rather than demanding an exhausted team find more "passion" to bridge the gap.

🛠️ Is Your "Growth Mindset" Actually a Fixed Mindset in Disguise? I see more and more folks use "growth mindset" as an excuse to avoid accountability for current performance while promising future improvement that never comes. "I'm learning/growing." "I have a growth mindset about this." "This is part of my journey." Translation: "I'm performing poorly, but let's focus on my intentions instead of my results." 🔍 Growth Mindset Performance Gap: Dweck's research showed believing abilities can be developed and can lead to higher achievement. Somewhere between research and corporate America, growth mindset became a hall pass for mediocre performance. Meta-analysis by Sisk et al. (2018) examined 273 studies found growth mindset interventions had minimal impact - far smaller effects than claimed. Research by Yeager et al. (2019) show growth mindset only works when combined with systematic practice and clear performance standards. Case from my practice: A Series C Director kept missing quarterly targets but insisted on his "growth mindset" about performance gaps. 6mo of "learning and growing" while his team's metrics flatlined. ❌ Problem: Used 'growth mindset' as emotional comfort food instead of performance tool ✅ Solution: Apply the EXECUTE framework to bridge mindset+results ⚡EXECUTE Framework: Growth Mindset + Performance Discipline Evidence-based goals → Specific, measurable outcomes, not just "growth" Xecution tracking → Daily behaviors, not quarterly intentions Experiment rapidly → Test weekly, not "when ready" Correct course quickly → Adjust within 48hrs of getting data Upgrade systematically → Build capability through deliberate practice Track results → Measure outcomes, not just effort Eliminate excuses → Own performance gaps, don't romanticize them ⚙️The shift: Instead of "I'm growing in this area," ➡️ I'm hitting X metric by Friday or we pivot and ➡️ built systems to prevent predictable failures. Result: Hit next quarter's targets 3wks early, on track for H2. When Growth Mindset Becomes Fixed Mindset: 1. You're "learning" the same lessons repeatedly without changing behavior 2. You use growth language to avoid performance conversations 3. Your mindset is growing but your results aren't 4. “I'm working on it" is regular status, not temporary transition Bottom Line: 📈 Growth mindset without execution discipline is just expensive optimism. 📈 Real growth requires both the belief that you can improve AND systematic practice that proves you're doing it. Three questions to audit your growth mindset: 1. What specific skill have you measurably improved in the last 90 days? 2. Are you "growing" in the same areas you were "growing" in last year? 3 If someone looked only at your results, would they see evidence of growth? Rooting for you (and your measurable growth 🌲), SK Sources: Dweck, C. (2006); Sisk, V. et al. (2018). Psychological Science; Yeager, D. et al. (2019). Nature

For two decades, “Growth Mindset” has been the buzzword of choice at education conferences. But are we genuinely implementing its principles in schools? I firmly believe that students must feel they can improve intelligence through effort. Without this belief, they won’t value feedback or embrace challenging work. Yet, the same schools that proudly display slogans like “Fail Forward” often enforce high-stakes testing and assign homework without opportunities for revision. Actions speak louder than words. The structure of our schools sends powerful implicit messages. Students are perceptive—they respond to incentives and quickly spot inconsistencies. If we truly want to cultivate a growth mindset, we need to rethink our educational practices: 👩🎓 Implement mastery-based assessments with unlimited opportunities for improvement. 🤖 Encourage iterative projects over high-stakes exams. 🗣️ Provide frequent, non-graded feedback from teachers and peers. It’s time to align our actions with our words. We must examine the incentives and structures of schools if we are to progress.

I recently coached a team leader who had hit a wall. Great instincts, strong vision—but every mistake felt personal. Every critique, a threat. Every missed target, a question of worth. He didn’t need more strategy. He needed to step away from some unexamined narratives stuck on repeat, and... He needed a new "Mantra Playlist" with greatest hits like: -I am not finished. I am forming. -Growth begins where comfort ends. -Struggle is the work. -I choose formation over perfection. -Failure is not final, it's formative. -Curiosity keeps me moving. -Effort shapes what talent cannot. -Progress is slower (and deeper) than it looks. -Who I’m becoming matters more than what I achieve. -Resilience is built, not born. That’s the core of a Growth Mindset. It’s not about faking positivity. It’s not about glossing over failure. It IS about rewiring your perspective (and brain) toward curiosity, learning, and development. And science spells out the payoff: -Teams that adopt growth mindset cultures see higher innovation rates and adaptability (Dweck, Harvard Business Review) -Leaders who model learning over perfection build psychological safety—the #1 predictor of high-performing teams (Google Project Aristotle) Growth Mindset isn’t a posture. It’s a system of belief that shapes resilience. The leaders and teams that endure? They don’t just chase wins. They rewire for formation: "always be learning." 📌 Where are you (or your team) being invited to grow—without needing to get it right the first time? #growthmindset #leadershipdevelopment #groundedandgrowing #formation #learningculture #resilience #leadershiphabits

The “Power of Yet” is not one-size-fits-all. And sometimes? It’s not helpful at all. The Neuroscience of Why “Yet” Falls Flat Let’s explore why the brain doesn’t always love this word: 1. It Can Bypass Emotional Safety When someone is in struggle, disappointment, or pain, their nervous system is in survival mode. The brain is scanning for threats — and what it needs first is validation, not solution. Saying “yet” too soon can sound like: “Don’t feel what you’re feeling — just keep pushing.” But the brain needs to feel safe before it can open to growth. Leadership takeaway: Acknowledge the struggle before pushing the solution. ⸻ 2. It Can Feel Like Blame “Yet” assumes that the only thing standing in your way is time or effort. But what if the issue is systemic? What if you’ve done everything — and you’re still not accepted? What if you’re Meghan Markle, and no amount of smiling, conforming, or trying is enough? Telling someone to just believe in “yet” can make them feel like it’s their fault they haven’t succeeded. Leadership takeaway: Context matters. Not all obstacles are internal. ⸻ 3. It Can Trigger Shame, Not Growth Neuroscience tells us that phrases that feel disingenuous or forced activate the amygdala — the brain’s fear and shame center — not the prefrontal cortex where insight, learning, and confidence live. When “yet” is overused or delivered without warmth, it backfires. Leadership takeaway: The tone and timing of our words matter more than their intent. So, What Works Instead? Let’s make the Power of Yet more neuro-friendly: • Start with empathy: “That sounds frustrating. I hear you.” • Add permission: “It’s okay to feel stuck. That doesn’t mean you’ll stay stuck.” • Offer aligned encouragement: “You’re not there yet — and you’re doing the work that gets you there.” Growth mindset isn’t about denial. It’s about honest optimism — grounded in compassion, not slogans. Final Thought: Growth Needs Grace Not every phrase belongs in every room. “Yet” isn’t bad — but it’s not magic either. So before we slap it on every setback, let’s pause. Let’s lead with understanding, not mantras. Because sometimes, what someone needs to hear most is: “You’re not broken. You’re already enough. And I’ve got your back.”

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 "𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭" 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤. Most people use "learning from failure" as a convenient excuse for poor planning. The Trap of Eternal Learning The traditional advice says every setback is a lesson. It sounds noble. It feels productive. But for many, it’s just a comfort blanket for incompetence. If you're constantly asking "What is this teaching me?", you're likely ignoring the fact that you shouldn't have been in that burning building in the first place. Reflection without radical correction is just a slow-motion car crash. The Pivot: From Student to Architect The goal isn't to be the best "student" of your own disasters. The goal is to build systems where "lessons" aren't required every single week. The Golden Rules of High-Stakes Growth: Audit the Origin: If the same "lesson" appears twice, it’s not a growth opportunity; it’s a systemic flaw. Prioritise Avoidance: High-performers don't just learn from mistakes they obsess over avoiding the preventable ones. Shorten the Feedback Loop: Don't wait for a project to fail to start "learning." Critique the process while it’s still alive. Replace Empathy with Data: Stop being "gentle" with your failures. Be clinical. The Bottom Line A growth mindset is a tool for evolution, not a bypass for accountability. Stop romanticising the struggle and start optimizing the strategy. Growth shouldn't always have to hurt. Are we over-indexing on "learning moments" and under-indexing on actual execution?

When “growth mindset” stops helping and starts harming “Adopt a growth mindset” sounds positive. But in practice, it can easily become another way to push people harder, silence struggle, or avoid fixing unsafe systems. Jade Garratt’s excellent piece takes a clear, principled look at where growth mindset helps, and where it gets misused. Two lines that cut through for me: “When growth mindset is misrepresented in this way, it is all too often used to judge people for not performing at 100% (or more) all the time.” And how far should organisations go in trying to shape what people believe about themselves? “What organisations ultimately need is behaviour… but is it appropriate for employers to stray into employees’ inner worlds – into their beliefs, attitudes and ways of making sense of themselves?” This is a powerful reminder that learning cultures are built by changing environments, not by “fixing” people. If your organisation talks about growth, learning, or resilience, but struggles with speaking up, experimentation, or mistakes, this is essential reading. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eJyNaayk Psychological Safety - psychsafety.com

Carol Dweck’s growth mindset is a helpful concept, but it is often oversimplified in ways that are problematic. Growth mindset is the idea that abilities can be developed through effort and learning. It can be empowering: when we treat challenges as opportunities to grow, rather than proof of our limitations, we become more adaptable, persistent, and open to learning. At Hudson Institute of Coaching we have seen great value in this idea with coaches-in-training, who are often more accustomed to performing than learning. But like many big ideas, the way it’s been popularized often oversimplifies the message. Dr. Richard Claydon has pointed out that the concept is heavily based on mid-20th-century achievement psychology, which assumed a level of personal control that doesn’t always match today’s more complex realities. The systemic perspective matters too. A thoughtful review of the research by Jill Barshay suggests that the link between mindset and outcomes like academic achievement may not be as strong as believed. Researchers found that how we define intelligence can influence mindset scores, which points to a more complicated relationship between mindset and results than many realize. It’s also clear that context matters. Sharp thinkers like Dave Snowden (and Dr. Richard Claydon, again) have pointed out that growth mindset can be overplayed as a one-size-fits-all solution. In cultures that punish mistakes or prioritize short-term results, encouraging a growth mindset is a dead end. The idea can be used to shift blame to individuals for not growing while ignoring systemic problems like lack of resources or toxic cultures that make growth impossible, no matter how hard someone tries. I think that growth mindset has an important place — if we believe that people can grow and develop, the door is open to better ways of working together, and that is a big deal. But we can apply it more thoughtfully. Growth happens when people are supported by systems that encourage curiosity, experimentation, and learning from failure. Without this support, growth mindset falls flat. Source: Barshay, J. (2019, November 25). Does growth mindset matter? The debate heats up with dueling meta-analyses. The Hechinger Report. https://lnkd.in/g-S-dEE5

A growth mindset is not toxic positivity.  It is not pretending everything is fine. It is not convincing yourself you're making progress when the evidence says otherwise. Here's what it actually is: choosing the interpretation of reality that enables action. Same facts. Two executives. Different outcomes. Executive A: "I've had 15 first conversations. Zero offers. Something must be wrong with me." Executive B: "I'm getting the first conversation; my positioning is working at that stage. I'm not advancing past the next round. That's the specific thing I need to address." One interpretation shuts the door. The other identifies exactly where to focus. That's not lying to yourself. That's radical accountability because it puts all the power back in your hands. The fixed mindset says: "I'm not good enough." That's the ultimate excuse, because there's nothing you can do about it. The growth mindset says, "I got this result from this approach. What do I change?" Which one is actually moving you forward? — Pat

If you’ve ever had a team member say, “That’s not my job,” you know how frustrating it can be. But here’s the hard truth: that mindset isn’t just their fault—it’s a reflection of the culture we’ve created as leaders. When leaders unknowingly reinforce 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀, people play it safe instead of stepping up. Learning new skills feels like extra work instead of an opportunity. The team leans too much on a few high performers while others disengage. And when leaders try to fix it, many make the mistake of 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 I’ve seen leaders react with frustration: • “That’s not up for discussion—just do it.” • “We all have to do things we don’t like.” • “If you can’t adapt, you won’t last here.”    But forcing people doesn’t create engagement—it kills it. The more we push, the more they resist. People need to see 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 in growth, or they’ll reject it. 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 Great teams don’t operate with a “stay in your lane” mentality. They embrace growth, adaptability, and shared responsibility. But that starts with how we lead. 𝟭. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 → 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 If I don’t model a growth mindset, why would my team? If I act like learning is an inconvenience, they will too. In my book, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮, I talk about the 𝗪𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲 principle—the best teams don’t just do their jobs, they help each other win. Leadership is about creating an environment where people see growth as the key to success, not as extra work. 𝟮. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 → 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶���𝗴 𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 • Reframe the expectation: “𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘣𝘴—𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.” • In 1-on-1s, ask: “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?” • Recognize and celebrate those who step up to learn something new. 𝟯. 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 → 𝗧𝗵𝗲 ‘𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲’ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 Pick a skill your team depends on and ask, “𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳?” Then, have employees teach each other in a 15-minute session. It’s a simple way to create a culture where people 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁. How do you encourage your team to embrace growth instead of resisting it? Let me know in the comments.