The common theme throughout this book is that a group of researchers believe that people can have one of two mindsets.

A growth mindset or a fixed mindset.

The author begins by identifying how we develop mindsets as children often as the result of external stimuli from our environments and parenting.

Children whom received constant adoration and told they were the cutest/brightest/best were found to grow up with a fixed mindset. Whereas children whom received more recognition for their actual effort and were told the importance of character and perseverance were found to grow up with the growth mindset.

The author then goes on to describe the pros and cons of the mindsets in various scenarios including.

• Achievement
• Sport
• Business
• Relationships

There are some fantastic real life examples of people with the mindsets in the book including.

• Famous leaders with the fixed/mindset and how they contributed to either the failure or success of a company including executives and CEOs at Enron, Xerox and AOL. Examples documenting how some CEOs with the fixed mindset would rather see a company fail without them to prove their own greatness made for great reading.
• Famous sporting figures and how the mindsets are used by those that rely on natural ability and those whom work hard to better themselves including John McEnroe and Michael Jordon. Examples of sporting celebrities that always made excuses and blamed others were shown to never have gone on to reach their potential. Examples of sporting figures with a great worth ethic for practice and improving seem to always trump those whom rely on amazing natural ability without such a work ethic.

The Growth Mindset

Those with a growth mindset see opportunity / benefit in adversity. They learn from challenges and see them as an opportunity to get better. They persist in the face of setbacks, see effort as the path to mastery, learn from criticism and can find lessons in the success of others.

Those with the growth mindset therefore equipped for continual growth enjoy near limitless potential.

The Fixed Mindset

Those with a fixed mindset believe that the amount of intelligence they will ever have is fixed and therefore effects how they behave in other areas. It means they avoid challenges for fear of appearing wrong or weak, get defensive and give up easily. They therefore avoid effort, ignore useful negative feedback and feel threatened by the success of others.

Those with the fixed mindset will at best plateau early / never achieve their potential and at worst negatively effect others including individuals, teams and businesses.

Summary

The author encourages the reader to identify aspects of the fixed and growth mindset in themselves and hopefully given the evidence within the book, encourage the reader to continually develop their own growth mindset in both themselves and others.

A strong entry in my all time favourite books list.

-- Lee