Growth mindset? Think of it as the key to resilience and success.

People and teams with a growth mindset believe that success is the result of effort. They believe that setbacks are learning opportunities.

(People and teams with a fixed mindset believe setbacks are a sign that they don't have the intelligence or talent to succeed - and there's nothing they can do about it.)

To develop a growth mindset in your team and individual employees (or children):

• Praise effort, perseverence, cooperation, strategies and resilience - never intelligence or talent. (You'll be praising what they can change.)
• Accept that setbacks are just part of learning and eventual success and talk to them that way
• Ask 'what can you learn from what happened?'
• Praise those who take on challenging projects. (Don't just wait till they succeed.)
• Face reality. If they didn't deserve to succeed let them know - diplomatically ('I think you'll need more effort/cooperation/planning next time.)
• Tell them that disappointment and frustration are natural, even for resilient people. It's what they do next that matters.
• Make your praise proportionate and specific. ('Well done. Your perseverance paid off.' Not, 'fabulous job!')

Our knowlege of growth and fixed mindsets is the result of three decades of research by Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University.

Interested in a workshop on team leadership or resilience?